Spirit of the Heart
by Lady Tiger LiLy
Summary: COMPLETE! What if something you thought you lost forever came back to you? Both Yugi and Yami recover something they once lost.
1. A New Friend?

Spirit of the Heart  
  
By: Tiger LiLy  
  
*******  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I only own Hana!  
  
*******  
  
Chapter 1: A New Friend?  
  
The sky shown blue when Yugi walked home to his grandpa's shop with Joey after school that day.  
  
"So, have yeah made any breakthroughs about the past of the spirit of the puzzle?" Joey asked his young friend.  
  
Yugi looked down at his Millennium Puzzle that hung around his neck. His face saddened. "No. I wish there was something we could do. I just don't know what yet."  
  
"Hey, don't sweat it, Yug! You'll figure it out!" He tried to encourage him.  
  
"Thanks, Joey."  
  
Just then, they arrived at Grandpa's shop. Joey and Yugi pushed open the doors to the shop and walked in.  
  
"Grandpa! I'm home!" Yugi called.  
  
Yugi and Joey walked up to the front counter and saw Mr. Mutou talking with a young girl.  
  
"Hello, Yugi. Hello, Joey." Mr. Mutou greeted.  
  
"I'm sorry, Grandpa. I didn't realize you were with a costumer." Yugi apologized.  
  
"It's quite all right." He smiled and turned back to the girl. "You should find what you are looking for right over there. Let me know it you need anything."  
  
The girl bowed her head. "Thank you, sir." She said in a quiet voice. She then turned and left towards where Mr. Mutou had pointed her.  
  
Yugi looked over at the girl. She was taller than he was but shorter than Joey. She was wearing a school uniform just like what the girls at Domino High wear.  
  
"Joey? Does that girl go to our school? I don't think I've ever seen her before." Yugi asked.  
  
"No, me neither. And believe me, I would remember." He grinned.  
  
"Well, let's find out who she is." Yugi suggested.  
  
"Ok." He agreed.  
  
The two boys walked over to the girl. She was looking at a shelf with Duel Monster Cards. She was looking over two cards that she had in her hands.  
  
"Hi!" Yugi greeted.  
  
Startled, the girl spun around, flipping her long raven hair over her shoulder as she turned towards whoever was addressing her.  
  
"Hi." She replied in a gentle voice.  
  
"I'm Yugi and this is my friend Joey."  
  
"How do yea do, miss. If yea ever need anything, you count on Joey here to be of assistance." Joey flirted.  
  
"Nice to meet you." She smiled shyly.  
  
"Do you go to school at Domino High? I've never seen you before." Yugi asked her.  
  
"Yes, I am new. I started school there about a week ago."  
  
"How do you like the school so far?" Yugi asked.  
  
"It's nice." She replied.  
  
"So what's your name?"  
  
"I'm Hana."  
  
"Do you like Duel Monsters, Hana?" Yugi pointed to the cards in her hand.  
  
"Yes, I do. I came here looking for some trap cards."  
  
"Well, that one right there is a good one." Yugi pointed to one that was in her right hand. "That's Mirror Force. It reflects half of your opponents attack back at your opponent."  
  
"Hmm, that is a good trap card. Maybe I'll get this one. Thank you." She smiled at Yugi.  
  
Yugi blushed a little. "No problem!"  
  
"You must play Duel Monsters too if you know what cards are best." Said Hana.  
  
"Are yea kidding! Yugi here is the one who beat both Kaiba and Pegasus!" Joey informed.  
  
"Really? So then you are THE Yugi Mutuo? You were at Duelist Kingdom, right?"  
  
"Well, I went too, yea know!" Joey added.  
  
"So did I!" Hana beamed excitedly.  
  
"You went to the Duelist Kingdom? I guess we never ran into each other." Said Yugi.  
  
"Yeah, well, I didn't stay long. Too bad though. I really wanted to duel with the Yugi Mutou."  
  
"Good luck! Yug, here is the best!" Joey added.  
  
"You must be pretty good yourself if you went to the Duelist Kingdom! We can still duel sometime if you'd like?" Yugi suggested.  
  
"Oh. Well, I can't now. Another time perhaps?"  
  
Yugi smiled. "Sure!"  
  
"Well, I've got to be going now."  
  
"Maybe we'll run into one another at school sometime?" said Yugi  
  
Hana nodded. She then paid for the cards she picked out and headed out the store. "See yea around!" She said as she left.  
  
"Bye!" Yugi and Joey shouted.  
  
"She seems like a nice, young girl." Observed Mr. Mutou.  
  
"She's a cutie, eh Yug!" Joey nudged Yugi with his elbow.  
  
Yugi flinched a little but said nothing.  
  
*******  
  
"And I'll add these two."  
  
Hana was sitting in her bedroom at home, trying to rebuild her dueling deck and make it stronger.  
  
"Maybe I should take this one out." Hana debated.  
  
"No. Keep that one but take out this one." Said a voice more of a woman's.  
  
"Alright." Hana agreed.  
  
"Now add this." Said the voice next to Hana.  
  
Hannah looked up over at her dresser drawer. She got up from her floor and opened the drawer that contained a golden box.  
  
"This is just the box that the necklace came in." She grabbed the heirloom that she wore around her neck and looked at it. It was very old. Probably an antique. It was a golden necklace that had been passed down from generation to generation. At the end of the necklace, was a heart with a mysterious Egyptian eye shaped pattern.  
  
"Yes, but open it and inside, lift under the bottom." Said the woman's voice.  
  
Hana lifted the inside bottom of the empty box and found what appeared to be a Duel Monsters card. Hana held it gingerly as she gazed at it in awe.  
  
"I've never seen this card before!"  
  
"That is because there is only one."  
  
"How come?"  
  
"When Duel Monsters first began, a dear friend of mine had this card made for me in remembrance of someone I loved."  
  
Hana nodded. "I'll be sure to take good care of it!"  
  
"I know you will."  
  
Hana smiled.  
  
*******  
  
The next day, Yugi and Joey walked to school together. When they arrived there, they met up with Tea and Tristin and headed to their classes.  
  
Just as they left, Hana came into the school. She hurried to her locker so to grab her books and hurry to class.  
  
"Please open!" she said as she tried to open her locker but to no avail. "I'm going to be late!"  
  
Bakura was at his locker as well when he heard the sounds of distress coming from around the corner. Curious, he closed his locker and walk around to see who was there.  
  
Hana hung her head and sighed. She sensed someone nearby and looked up to see the white haired boy watching her. "Hey! Could you maybe give me a hand?"  
  
"Um, sure." Said Bakura.  
  
"I can't open my locker. Could you try opening it for me?"  
  
"I suppose I could give it a try."  
  
"I managed to unlock it, but I think the door is jammed."  
  
"Well, here it goes!" First Bakura tried the handle. He then tried to pull it open but still nothing. "My, what a stubborn locker you have!" He then banged his fist on the locker door and it flew open.  
  
"Here you are!" Bakura smiled.  
  
"Thanks!"  
  
Bakura watched her as she quickly grabbed her books from her locker. "Excuse me."  
  
Hana turned to Bakura. "Yes?"  
  
"I was just wondering, what's your name?"  
  
"Oh! I'm Hana Kokoro!" she smiled.  
  
"Pleased to meet you, Hana. My name's Bakura."  
  
"Well, thank you again, Bakura, but I'm running late! Bye!" Hana said as she rushed off.  
  
Bakura said nothing as he watched her hurry to class. His Millennium Ring around his neck and under his uniform began to glow. "Hmm. There's something about her. Something familiar and alluring, but I don't recognize the name." Said Bakura's evil spirit to himself. He had taken total control of Bakura.  
  
He pulled out his Millennium ring from under his shirt and held it up towards the direction Hana had left. The ring did not respond. "Hmm. She doesn't seem to be carrying a Millennium item but I do sense a magical energy coming from her. I better keep an eye on her."  
  
*******  
  
Well? Sound interesting so far? I hope so! Now, go click the mystical, magical Millennium Review Button and tell the Spirit what you think about this fic so far! Later!  
  
Tiger LiLy =^..^= 


	2. A Duel with Destiny

Spirit of the Heart  
  
By: Tiger LiLy  
  
*******  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I own Hana, Reira, and whatever cards I make up.  
  
*******  
  
Chapter 2: A Duel with Destiny  
  
It was after school. Everyone was at their lockers getting their books and getting ready to go home. Hana was one of the last to leave. She closed her locker and headed to the exit when she saw it was raining. Hana watched happily as the rain came down. She liked the rain and didn't mind the fact that she didn't have her umbrella with her. She stepped outside into the world of falling water and began to leave the campus when someone shouted to her.  
  
"Hana!"  
  
Hana spun around to see little Yugi running up to her with his umbrella.  
  
"Hello Yugi." Hana smiled.  
  
"Hana! It's pouring out today! Don't you have an umbrella?"  
  
"I'm afraid I don't but that's ok. I enjoy the rain." She replied.  
  
Yugi never met anyone who liked getting soaked in the rain. "Here, let me share my umbrella with you."  
  
"You don't have to do that, Yugi."  
  
"I insist! Besides, you don't want to get sick and miss school already! You've just started!"  
  
"Oh, alright." Hana agreed.  
  
Yugi and Hana walked off campus together before they stopped. Yugi blushed and sweat dropped. "Um, I'm afraid I don't know where you live."  
  
"Well, which way to your house?" Hana asked.  
  
"I live that way at my Grandpa's shop." Yugi pointed to the left.  
  
"Oh, well, I live this way." Hana pointed to the right.  
  
"Well, then I'll walk you home and then I'll walk back to my home." Yugi suggested.  
  
"I don't want you to do that! I live farther than you do from here. I'll walk to you're home and then I'll just borrow your umbrella."  
  
"Wait! I have a better idea!" Yugi exclaimed. "Why don't we duel!"  
  
Hana was puzzled. "In the rain?"  
  
"No! There are dueling arenas at Kaiba Land! It's not far from here! We can go duel there and by the time our duel is finished, it will probably have stopped raining!"  
  
"We were going to duel anyway." Hana thought aloud. "That sounds like a great idea! Do you have you're cards?"  
  
"Yep! And do you?"  
  
"Of course!"  
  
"Alright! Then lets go!"  
  
Bakura had been spying on them. "Something tells me that this is one duel I don't want to miss." He smirked as continued to follow them.  
  
*******  
  
They entered one of the spare dueling arenas. Yugi and Hana took their places. Yugi shuffled his deck and Hana shuffled her's.  
  
'Yugi?' spoke Yami, the spirit within Yugi's Millennium puzzle. 'Will you be dueling alone?'  
  
'Yeah.' Yugi replied.  
  
'I sense that you should not duel alone. Let me help you.' Pleaded the spirit.  
  
'It's just a friendly match between friends. I can do it without you.'  
  
Yami nodded. He didn't know why, but he felt he needed to pay attention to what happens in this duel. He sensed something but didn't know what. He decided to watch this battle play out and see what will become of it. Now, Yami's spirit seemed to be standing right next to Yugi as Yugi placed his deck in its proper place.  
  
Bakura watched the match from a distance. He didn't want to be seen. "Let us see what will become of this duel." He said to himself.  
  
"Are you ready, Hana?" Yugi shouted across from his side of the arena.  
  
"I'm ready when you are!" she shouted across from the other side of the arena. "And you better be ready! I may be a girl, but I duel just as hard as any guy!"  
  
Yugi wasn't sure where that came from. He didn't expect her to be a weak duelist because she was a girl. Yugi just nodded. "Let's duel!"  
  
They each drew five cards. Yugi had on his serious game face on while Hana expressed no emotion as she examined her hand. Yugi made the first move.  
  
"I play the Celtic Guardian in attack mood! That ends my turn!"  
  
Hana, unfazed, glanced back down at her hand. "I will play this card face down." She said simply as she laid down one card. "Then, I will play Neo the Magic Swordsman in attack mode!" She declared as she placed her Spellcaster type monster on the field.  
  
"Hmm." He acknowledged. He knew what was coming for Neo the Magic Swordsman has an attack strength of 1700 while his Celtic Guardian had an attack strength of 1400.  
  
"Attack the Celtic Guardian, my Swordsman!" she commanded.  
  
The holographic creature attacked causing a slight fall in Yugi's life points.  
  
"Celtic Guardian is no more. But I sense you have yet to begin. I know how you duel, Yugi. I know you're just getting warmed up. Well, so am I." She said.  
  
'Hana seems like a different person on the dueling arena.' Yugi noted. He then nodded to her and drew a card. "First, I place this card face down. Next, I shall also play a Spellcaster! I play the Dark Magician in attack mode!"  
  
"Dark Magician, attack!" Yugi commanded. And with that, Neo the Magic Swordsman was destroyed, leaving Hana with fewer life points then Yugi.  
  
"You destroyed one of my favorite monsters, Yugi. Now I shall return the gesture." Hana drew a card. "I shall start things off by resurrecting my loyal swords man." Hana placed down a Monster Reborn card, which brought back her Neo the Magic Swordsman. "Next, I shall also place my Petit Angel in defense mode!" Hana threw down her monster.  
  
'Why would Hana play such a weak monster?' Yugi thought.  
  
"I'm not done yet! I will also play Trap Master in attack mode!" She announced as she placed her monster on the field.  
  
"Oh no!" Yugi couldn't help but shout out.  
  
"I see you know why I play him even though he has an attack of 500. Trap Master has the power to destroy one trap card on the field, and I tend to take advantage of that opportunity!" With the power of the Trap Master, Hana destroyed Yugi's trap card he had face down on the field. "My turn has ended."  
  
Yugi saw she was indeed a strong duelist. He could see why she had been invited to Duelist Kingdom. She dueled with a fiery passion but kept it well hidden. 'But, she seems so different here on the arena then when I first met her at Grandpa's shop.' He drew another card. "I play Curse of Dragon in attack mode! I now attack your Swordsman again! Go, Curse of Dragon!" Yugi attacked with his Dragon.  
  
"Did you think I'd let you strike my swordsman twice?" Hana flipped over her face down card, which was a trap.  
  
"A trap!" Yugi said aloud.  
  
"I activate my trap card, Two-Pronged Attack! I shall sacrifice two of my monsters in order to destroy one of yours! And not just anyone! But the Dark Magician!" Hana sacrificed her Petit Angel and her Trap Master and in doing so, she destroyed his Dark Magician.  
  
"No! My Dark Magician!" shouted Yugi. 'That's why she played those weaker monsters. By sacrificing two of her monsters, she could instantly destroy one of mine.' Yugi felt like he should have seen that coming. He looked down at his hand.  
  
"Yugi?"  
  
Yugi looked up and looked across the arena at Hana.  
  
"I'm sorry for destroying your Dark Magician. I know he's your favorite. But I had no choice." She said with sincerity in her voice. 'Sometimes sacrifices have to be made.'  
  
'Huh? It's like she's two people! First she's this hot-shot duelist, then she's this sweet, innocent little girl.' Yugi thought.  
  
'You're right Yugi.' The spirit said to him. 'There's something about her. I detected magical energies from her, and they are getting stronger.'  
  
'Why do I feel so bad about destroying his magician?' Hannah felt her necklace under her shirt. 'I feel like my heart is torn. I don't want Yugi do be upset at me. It's just a friendly match. But something keeps pushing me to duel my hardest.'  
  
Yugi drew a card. "First, I'll place one card face down! Next, I'll play Gaia the Fierce Knight in attack mode! Now, I'll use the power of Polymerization to fuse my Curse of Dragon with Gaia the Fierce Knight to bring forth Gaia the Dragon Champion!"  
  
Yugi's Curse of Dragon was strong enough to defeat Neo the Magic Swordsman, but this way she wouldn't have a chance to attack his Dragon on her next turn.  
  
Hana drew a card. "I will place these two cards face down, ending my turn."  
  
Yugi drew a card. "I shall attack with Gaia the Dragon Champion!"  
  
"Then I will activate my magic card, Dark Hole! It destroys all monsters on the field, including my own!"  
  
Yugi watched as all the monsters disappeared. 'She did it again. She sacrificed her own monster to destroy mine.'  
  
'Yes, there's something about her dueling strategy. She used lots of trap and magic cards. She also will sacrifice even her own monsters if it means destroying her opponent's. I believe I've seen this tactic of dueling used before.' Said the spirit.  
  
"Why, Hana? Why do sacrifice your own monsters to destroy mine?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Don't think me heartless, Yugi. I do not to it in vain. I care for all my monsters. When I sacrifice one of my monsters, it's like sacrificing a part of myself. Their sacrifice does not go without my gratitude and thanks."  
  
Bakura looked very intrigued. "She is a very strong duelist. The deeper into the duel she goes, the stronger her strange energy surges." Bakura looked down at his ring, which remanded dormant. "No, she does not posses a millennium item, but she does posses strong magic within her being; ancient magical energy."  
  
"It's your move, Yugi." Said Hana.  
  
Yugi said nothing and drew a card. "I will put Mystical Elf in defense mode!" When Yugi did so, the elf began to chant. "And I will also put this card face down! Your move."  
  
Hana drew a card and looked at it for a moment. 'I'll finally get to see what this card can do.' She thought. "But-" She looked over at Yugi's face down card. 'That may be a trap, so just incase-' "I'll play Ansatsu in attack mode! Attack his elf!"  
  
"Then I will activate the Living Arrow card! It takes my opponents attack and sends it right back at you!" Yugi shouted. "Ansatsu is destroyed."  
  
Just then, a bright light emitted from the Mystical Elf. Hana shield her eyes with her arm.  
  
"By using the Living Arrow card, my Mystical Elf had time to finish her chant! Now, Mystical Elf, with your power, resurrect the Dark Magician from the Graveyard!"  
  
The light emitted brighter before dimming away, revealing the Dark Magician once more. Yugi then drew a card and placed it face down. Because Hana had no monsters on the field, he was able to attack Hana's life points directly. He did so with his magician. Now Hana's life points were greatly declined lower than Yugi's.  
  
"I'm glad to see your magician is back." She smiled.  
  
Yugi was puzzled.  
  
Hana drew a card. "I will place this card face down. Finally, I will place this monster in attack mode! Go!" she shouted as she threw down her monster.  
  
Both Yugi and Yami were shocked to see what monster she had placed on the field.  
  
"I call upon the Dark Magician Girl!" She shouted. "Attack his Mystical Elf!" she commanded.  
  
The female magician obeyed her master and destroyed the Mystical Elf.  
  
'It can't be!' said Yami. 'It's impossible!'  
  
'What are you talking about, Yami?' asked Yugi.  
  
'I haven't seen that card since-! But, it can't be!'  
  
"Well, Yugi, to make the playing field even, I also place a card face down." She said, completing her turn.  
  
Bakura was surprised as well as Yami. 'That card! I know I've seen it before. But where? When? And more importantly, who had I known that possessed it?'  
  
'It's not possible!' Yami repeated. 'I must get to the bottom of this!'  
  
'What's going on, Yami?"  
  
'I'm sorry, Yugi, but must take over now.'  
  
'Huh? What-?'  
  
Yami quickly switched minds with Yugi so that he could find out what he needed to find out. He felt bad about switch minds without fully consulting Yugi on the matter, but this was serious.  
  
Bakura could sense that the two spirits in the young boy's vessel had switched minds. He knew the pharaoh had to have sensed magic contained within the young woman's vessel. But did the pharaoh know who this woman was? Did he sense something familiar about her like he had?  
  
"Who are you? "Where did you get that card!" Yami demanded.  
  
Hana was puzzled by his strange question. "This card was given to me!"  
  
"By who?" he asked.  
  
"I- I'm not quite sure." She replied.  
  
Yami was silent.  
  
"Are you going to duel or what?" she said in a harsh tone.  
  
'Where did that come from?' Yami thought. 'Her attitude changed dramatically.' Yami seemed to begin to understand.  
  
"I'm waiting!" she shouted.  
  
"Very well." He drew a card. "Dark Magician, attack the Dark Magician Girl!"  
  
"I don't think so. Why would he attack the one he loves?" Hana flipped over a very rare magic card. "Tender Hearts. With this magic card, I can have one of your monsters fall in love with one of mine only if they are of the opposite sex. Making it so that whatever monster of yours I choose, can't attack the monster of mine that I choose!"  
  
"Yes!" Bakura said to himself. "I remember now!"  
  
"I now know." Yami said aloud to himself.  
  
"Now your Dark Magician is unable to attack the Dark Magician Girl because he's in love with her. It just makes sense. I mean, would you hurt the one you loved?"  
  
Yami was silent.  
  
"Now, I will use this card to boost my Dark Magician Girl's attack points higher then that of you're magician!" Hana did so and prepared to attack.  
  
"Do not attack." Yami said.  
  
Hana paused. "What?"  
  
"Do not attack." He repeated. "If you do, I will activate my face down card and you will loose this duel."  
  
Hana was puzzled. Why was he telling her this?  
  
Yami placed his hand over his deck.  
  
"Wha-? Yugi?! What are you doing?" Hana shouted across the arena.  
  
"It's like you said. You can't hurt the one you love- Reira."  
  
Hana didn't understand what was going on. She grasped at her chest and gasped. She fell to her knees and continued to wheeze.  
  
Yami, not wasting anytime, ran to her side. "Hana!"  
  
"My- heart." She gasped. "It hurts."  
  
"It's alright. Don't be scared."  
  
"I don't- understand." Tears welled up in her eyes. "I've never- felt- like this."  
  
"Don't fight it. It will be alright." Yami coaxed.  
  
Hana began to stop resisting and in doing so, she seemed to have fainted.  
  
"Hana?" Yami held her head up.  
  
Hana's eyes fluttered open. She turned her head over to Yami and starred at him for a moment. Her brow began to quiver as her breath quickened. "Yami? Is it really you, my Pharaoh?" she asked in a voice that was slightly different than before.  
  
"Reira." He breathed in disbelief. He pulled her close and hugged her tightly against him. "It's you."  
  
Bakura smirked as he made his way to the exit. "Excellent." He chucked to himself with a sinister tone.  
  
*******  
  
I had a hard time trying to describe the duel! If I made any dueling technicalities, I'm sorry! Just a reminder, Hana does NOT have a Millennium Item! So then what's going on with her? Well, you'll find out next chapter! Until then! Later!  
  
Tiger LiLy =^..^= 


	3. Spirit of the Heart

Spirit of the Heart  
  
By: Tiger LiLy  
  
*******  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! I own Hana and Reira.  
  
*******  
  
Chapter 3: Spirit of the Heart  
  
Yami pulled away and rose to his feet, holding the slightly more mature looking Hana's hands in guiding her up with him. He looked at her with astonishment. "You're here. But- how can that be?"  
  
She put her hand on his lips to hush him. "No words. I have spent many life times in hope that I would find you." She looked at him with deep, loving eyes. "My Pharaoh. My Yami." She removed her hand and replaced it with her lips. She did not hold anything back.  
  
Yami was still slightly dumbfounded but quickly fell into the passionate kiss. The passionate kiss he hadn't felt in ages. Small tears formed at the corners of his eyes and damped his lashed. How he had missed her so. He wanted nothing more then to make that moment of overwhelming joy last for eternity, but now wasn't the time or place.  
  
It took him all his strength to pull back from the lushes lips that were so beautiful and so tempting like the last drink of water in all the fiery dessert.  
  
"Reira, how is this possible?"  
  
"Anything is possible with love and magic." She smiled.  
  
Her smiled grew weak and her eyes gently fell shut as a sound of exhaustion escaped her lips as she exhaled. Yami quickly grasped her limp body as she seemed to faint once more.  
  
"Reira? Reira, are you alright?"  
  
She moaned. "Huh?" Hana mumbled as she began to stir. "Yugi? What's going on?"  
  
"We'll talk about it later. You need to get home." He replied as he helped her to her feet.  
  
*******  
  
Yami walked Hana to her home. He kept looking down at her as thoughts and questions raced through his mind.  
  
Hana unlocked her door and they entered. Hana's parents wouldn't be home from work until later.  
  
"Thank you, Yugi, for walking me home. I'm feeling much better. Would you like to come in and have something to drink?"  
  
Yami nodded and followed Hana into the kitchen where she was getting two glasses of water. He watched her in silence, still deep in thought.  
  
Hana walked over to the Yami and handed him a small blue cup of water. She smiled sweetly and drank her own cup. Yami took the cup but didn't drink it; rather, he placed it on the counter as soon as he accepted it.  
  
"Hana." He began. "It is very important that you tell me how you obtained the Dark Magician Girl card."  
  
Hana looked up at him and placed her cup on the counter next to his. "Like I told you, it was a gift."  
  
"But who gave it to you?" he asked with a sound of eagerness.  
  
Hana was silent for a moment and looked away. "Y-you wouldn't believe me if I told you. I'm not even sure myself." She replied.  
  
"Hana." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Please. I must know. I promise, you can tell me anything."  
  
Hana looked up at him with uneasy eyes and was silent for a moment. "I want to show you something." She said in a timid voice. She turned away from Yami and asked him to follow her.  
  
She led him up the stairs to a bedroom. From the looks of it, it had to be Hana's.  
  
"You know, Yugi, in the beginning, I didn't really care for Duel Monsters. Then one day, my mother gave me our family heirloom that had been passed down from woman to woman. All our moving around had shown her how responsible I had become. She said I was old enough now to be trusted with it and take care of it. It has been in our family for so long that no one even remembers why it was so important to pass on to each generation."  
  
Yami watched as Hana opened her dresser drawer and pulled out a gold box. Yami gasped silently when he saw it.  
  
She held it tenderly. "But because of what this box contains, I now know."  
  
"C-could I see it?"  
  
She nodded and handed Yami the box. He held it delicately. With his fingers, he traced the Egyptian eye that was in the lid. He then carefully lifted the lid to find nothing inside put some old cloth.  
  
Yami turned to her. "I thought you said-?"  
  
Hana slightly pulled down the collar of her shirt and pulled out a gold necklace. At the end of the golden chain was a gold heart with the same Egyptian eye symbol on it. Yami looked at the necklace with shocked eyes. He hadn't seen the piece of jewelry in centuries.  
  
"The moment I opened the box and found the necklace within, I knew there was something special about it. I wore the necklace and instantly felt a bond with it. One day, I saw some kids playing Duel Monsters and I decided to watch. I soon became fascinated with it. One of the boys asked if I wanted to play. I told him I didn't have any cards but he said I could borrow some of his if I liked." Hana smiled with amusement. "I had never played the game in my life, much less know the object and rules to the game, and all just the same, I beat him. I beat him as if I had played the game for sometime. I began to buy my own cards and compete. Soon, I began to duel but with a completely different personality. I dueled with a fire that I had no idea I had or where it came from. Then one day, I met with my source for dueling."  
  
Yami listened intently.  
  
"There was this boy." Hana began to blush. "That I met when my family finally began to settle down. We hung out a lot and just when we started getting close, he was the one who moved. I had never experienced that before. I was the one who was always moving. I was the one who left others behind, but this time, I was the one who stayed and was left behind. I felt like he abandoned me. My heart ached. I locked myself in my room and cried."  
  
*Flashback*  
  
I was lying on my bed with my tear stained face buried in my pillow. I soon cried myself to sleep.  
  
"Hana. Hana." I heard the soft voice.  
  
I opened my eyes and looked around. I did not know where I was. I was floating in what seemed to be space.  
  
"It will be all right, child." Came the voice.  
  
"Mom?" asked aloud, not sure whose voice I was hearing.  
  
"No, I am not your mother."  
  
"Then who is it? Where are you?"  
  
A figure of a woman appeared before me. She was very beautiful. Judging by her features and her clothing, she looked like an Egyptian princess or someone like that. As I continued to gaze upon the strange woman, I soon realized that she bared an uncanny resemblance to me but much older. Her cheeks seemed to be wet with tears.  
  
"Hello, Hana." She had such a soft voice.  
  
"Do I know you?" I asked.  
  
"No, but I have sensed you ever since you wore the necklace. Have you not sensed my presents as well?" she pointed to the family heirloom around my neck.  
  
I grabbed the heart at the end of the chain and held it tightly in my hand. "What do you know about my necklace?"  
  
"I know that it was once mine."  
  
I began to slowly retreat; afraid she might take it from me.  
  
"Do not be afraid, Hana. I would not harm you."  
  
"W-why are you here?"  
  
"I am here because I could feel the pain in your heart. My spirit laid unconscious within the necklace until the familiar feeling of heartache forced me to emerge from my dormant state."  
  
"You mean you've been through what I've been through?"  
  
Her face revealed the once forgotten pain. "Yes, more so if not exactly."  
  
"I- I have sensed you before." I remembered. "Sometime after I first wore the necklace, I began to- I felt a- a pain and sorrow in my heart. It- it was you're emotion I was feeling?"  
  
"I believe so. Our spirits are connected through heart. We can feel one another's pain and emotions as well as joy and happiness."  
  
"But how can that be? Who are you?"  
  
"I am apart of you now."  
  
*End Flashback*  
  
"When I woke up, I thought everything was just a dream." She turned to Yami. "But it wasn't, Yugi. She's real. She's apart of me. I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth. She's an ancient spirit of my ancestors."  
  
"What do you mean? How do you know this?" he asked.  
  
"Because after that dream, I could still sense her. I could still feel her. Soon, I was even able to see her and talk to her outside of my dreams. She slowly was able to remember the things she had long forgot from centuries ago. She told me she was born in ancient Egypt. She shared with me vivid stories of Egypt and it's people."  
  
"What else did she tell you?" Yami asked.  
  
"Do you believe me, Yugi? Do you really believe me?" she asked before continuing.  
  
"Yes. Yes I do." He answered with sincerity.  
  
She smiled. "All she remembers is Egypt and being utterly heart broken about something that happened to someone she loved. She said she's here because she's searching for that person."  
  
Yami was silent as he sat on her bed, deep in thought.  
  
"Yugi?"  
  
He looked up at her and turned away to look down at the floor. "I got to go." he said solemnly.  
  
"Yugi? Are you feeling alright?"  
  
Yami walked to the doorway and stopped. "Tell her, I'm sorry." He said before he left the room and went out the front door.  
  
Hana didn't understand what was happening but she felt an ache in her heart at his words.  
  
"Yami?"  
  
Hana turned around to see the Spirit, Reira, standing on the other side of the room. "Who's Yami?" Hana asked.  
  
"Yami- is the name of- of the one I once loved." Reira clasped at her heart as tears began to roll down her tan cheeks. "I can feel his presence."  
  
Hana felt Reira's pain and clasped the heart necklace around her neck. She soon felt tears rolling down her face as well.  
  
Their hearts were merged and they were one. Reira could sense Yami's presence through Hana though Hana did not know who this Yami was.  
  
Hana was facing away from the spirit, tears dancing in her eyes. "You really love him." Hana squeezed tighter on her necklace. "I can feel it."  
  
"Yes." Reira replied, also facing way. "That is why I search. For centuries I have waited for the day when I will reunite with him- in flesh and spirit."  
  
Hana choked out a cry of pain before falling to her knees, still holding tightly to her necklace.  
  
The spirit turned sharply and looked at Hana with wide eyes. "Oh, Hana! Forgive me! I did not mean for you to feel so much pain!"  
  
Hana's breathing began to return to its normal pace and she loosened her grip on her necklace.  
  
Hana is young and her heart cannot take all the emotions that have been experienced by the spirit. Hana's young heart cannot comprehend all that Reira feels and it becomes too much of a strain on her. There is so much pain and sorrow Hana has yet to experience.  
  
*******  
  
Was this confusing? I hope not! I tried to clarify everything without over doing it. Basically, like how Yugi and Yami can share minds, Hana and Reira share hearts. They can sense one another's feelings and share one another's pain as well as joy. Reira is confused and doesn't know if her short encounter with Yami was real or not. She can sense his presences though when he is near. Hana and Reira have yet to discover that they can switch like Yugi and Yami can. That's why Hana was struggling at the dueling arena. On top of feeling this blast of forgotten pain, that came from Reira, Hana and Reira where trying to switch places and Hana didn't know what was happening to her. Therefore, Hana passed out, Reira emerged but was unable to handle this new experience along with her overwhelming emotions that she had not dealt with for a while. Got it? I hope so! More to be revealed next chapter!  
  
Tiger LiLy =^..^= 


	4. Young Hearts

Spirit of the Heart  
  
By: Tiger LiLy  
  
*******  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! I own Hana and Reira.  
  
*******  
  
Chapter 4: Young Hearts  
  
"A spirit within Hana? You mean she has a Millennium Item?"  
  
'No Yugi, she does not posses a Millennium Item.' The Spirit replied from the other side of Yugi's room.  
  
"But then how does Hana have another spirit within her body?" Yugi asked from where he sat on his bed.  
  
'I'm not sure. I believe it may be because of that necklace.'  
  
"What necklace?"  
  
'Hana has an antique Egyptian necklace. It was an heirloom passed down her family for generations.'  
  
"Is this spirit good or evil?" Yugi asked with worry.  
  
'Good.' Yami trailed off.  
  
Yugi looked down at his Millennium Puzzle. "Do you think maybe the spirit is also from ancient Egypt?"  
  
'Yes, she is.' Yami turned his back to Yugi.  
  
"She?"  
  
'Hm.' He replied.  
  
"Do you know her? Do you have any idea of who the spirit is? Or why she's here?"  
  
Yami was silent as he continued with his back to Yugi. 'My past is still much of a blank.' He turned slightly back to Yugi. 'But I do have some memories of her. I'm not exactly sure why she's here.'  
  
"How do you know her?" Yugi asked with curiosity.  
  
Yami was silent. Suddenly Yugi heard his grandpa calling him.  
  
"Yugi! You have company!" he shouted.  
  
"Ok!" he shouted back. Yugi ran down the stares and entered the store portion of the building. He walked over to the counter where his grandpa was and saw he was with someone. He smiled brightly when he saw who it was. "Hi Hana!"  
  
Hana turned to Yugi and smiled back. "Hey Yugi!" Like Yugi, she was also wearing her school uniform. The girls' uniforms consisted of a blue skirt, white shirt with a big blue bow tie around the neck, and along with a pink blazer. Hana though, had the pink jacket tired around her waist. Some of her long raven hair was pulled back and tied with a blue bow similar to the one around her neck.  
  
"So Hana, what brings you by?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Hana came over to thank you for walking her home yesterday." Mr. Mutou answered. "My grandson, such a fine gentlemen!" he began to brag.  
  
Yugi blushed with embarrassment. "Grandpa."  
  
Hana smiled sweetly to the blushing Yugi and it made him turn a deeper red.  
  
"Yes, Hana told me that you walked her home since it had rained after school and she didn't have an umbrella."  
  
Yugi realized that Hana didn't completely fill in his grandpa of the day's events but it was understandable of her not to.  
  
"Yes, thank you Yugi for sharing your umbrella with me."  
  
He nodded. "No problem!"  
  
"Well, I also came here also to get some more duel monsters cards." She spoke nervously. "I'll take this package."  
  
"All right then." Mr. Mutou replied as Hana gave him the money for the cards.  
  
She turned once more to Yugi who was starting to head towards the back of the room. "Uh, Yugi-" she began nervously.  
  
"He stopped and turned back to her. "Yeah?"  
  
"I was just wondering- if you would like to hangout later?" Hana began to blush with embarrassment.  
  
"Sure!" Yugi answered.  
  
Hana's cheeks seemed to lighten to a cute shade of pink. "Really? Cool!"  
  
"Let me finish helping out around here and then we can meet up later!"  
  
"At the arcade?" Hana began to back up towards the front entrance.  
  
"At five?"  
  
"Sounds good!"  
  
"Ok!"  
  
"Ok!" Hana smiled at him before bumping into a shelf behind her. She laughed nervously, still with a hint of pink on her cheeks. "Ok then!" she repeated. "See yea, Yugi!" she shouted as she exited the shop.  
  
"Bye Hana!" Yugi shouted back.  
  
Mr. Mutou smiled. "What a lovely young woman. She seems to have taken a real liking to you, Yugi. Yes, she's well mannered and pretty to add."  
  
Yugi blushed. "I'll start unpacking the boxes in back."  
  
*******  
  
It was almost five o'clock when Hana began to approach the arcade. She couldn't shake the slight twinge of nervousness in the pit of her stomach. She knew there was no reason to feel this way, but she did.  
  
"Hi Hana!"  
  
Hana turned towards the voice addressing her. To her pleasure, she saw the familiar white haired boy from school. "Hello, Bakura!" she greeted in return.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he asked her in his sweet accented voice.  
  
"I'm- waiting- for a friend." She said nervously.  
  
"I see, well, if you're meeting your friend at the arcade, maybe we could go and wait inside. Unless, that is, my company is too much of a inconvenience-"  
  
"Oh no, Bakura!" Hana stopped him. "I'd love to have your company!" she smiled in reassurance.  
  
"All right then!" he opened the door leading inside. "After you!" he bowed.  
  
"Thank you." Hana giggled. As she entered, she felt the light brush of his hand on her lower back in guidance.  
  
*******  
  
Yugi approached the arcade and looked around to see that Hana was nowhere in sight. A group of people exited the arcade.  
  
"Wow! That chick with the black hair is almost as good as the girl who beat Steps!"  
  
Yugi thought that they may have been talking about Hana and entered the arcade to see if he could find her. As he entered, he was no longer listening to the conversation of the group who was leaving.  
  
"Yeah that girl had some cool moves! But I don't remember that music on the game before."  
  
"Me neither."  
  
"I bet I could do better than her on that weird song!"  
  
"Can you do better then a perfect score?"  
  
*******  
  
(Back to before Yugi came in)  
  
"Hey Bakura! Let's play this!"  
  
"All right then." Bakura watched as Hana became enthralled in one of the many video games. 'What ridiculous machines. Dueling in Egyptian times was always more exciting, more challenging- more dangerous.' Bakura smirked to himself as he thought this for this was the Bakura who had come possessed by the evil spirit in his Millennium Ring.  
  
"Aw man! Game over!" Hana pouted.  
  
"Say, Hana, why don't we play that game over there."  
  
Hana looked over to where Bakura was pointing. "DDR?" (A/N: Dance Dance Revolution)  
  
"Yeah! It's quite the game from what I've heard but I've never gotten to see anyone play it yet. You're so good at video games I'm sure you could do it!"  
  
Hana blushed. "I'm really not that great at video games. Let's play something else."  
  
"Come on Hana! Don't be shy!"  
  
"I- I can't."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I'm- I'm not very- graceful" she blushed deeper.  
  
"Don't worry." He smiled sweetly. "Neither am I. I promise not to laugh."  
  
Hana wanted to reject the idea again but before she knew it, she was standing on the game's platform.  
  
"Don't say I didn't warn you." She said to him.  
  
"Here, how about I pick the song." As Bakura was 'choosing a song', he tapped into the magic of his Millennium Ring. "This song will do nicely."  
  
Hana heard the sound of some kind of flutes, and other strange instruments she didn't know. 'What is this music?' she wondering. 'I feel like I know this music.' A strange feeling came over her as her eyes fell shut and a burst of energy surged through her body from an unknown source.  
  
Bakura grinned.  
  
Once the surge of energy ebbed, Hana's eyes flung open. Her eyes were dark, serious, and yet seducing. Hana began to step slowly to the music since the beat was very slow to start. She was also using both the first and second player's sides of the platform. This caught the attention of the other people around and some went to watch the dramatic dancing performance.  
  
The beat picked up slightly and so did Hana. The people stood in awe while others whistled and cheered her on.  
  
"I've never seen this girl before! She's pretty good!"  
  
"Dude! She's hardly even looking at the screen!"  
  
"Her score is awesome!"  
  
"She must know all the moves by heart!"  
  
"I wonder what kind of shampoo she uses."  
  
Sweat was forming on her brow as she untied her pink blazer from around her waist and tossed it carelessly aside, providing more freedom for her to move. Her white collared shirt became untucked from her blue skirt from her movements.  
  
Every step was precise without faltering. She made her final steps, so now she was facing the machine once more, and fell to her knees. The music stopped. Hana hung her head as her hair draped around her face, hiding her.  
  
The crowd cheered and quickly everyone began to leave to other parts of the arcade.  
  
Hana was panting as she stayed where she sat. The strange energy diminished as she then turned and looked at Bakura standing to her left. It was her bright, sweet, innocent eyes once more.  
  
She smiled at him as she rose to her feet. "Wow! Did you see me Bakura! I didn't know I had it in me! Maybe I'm more coordinated than I-!" she fell as she was trying to walk off the platform. But rather than falling face first onto the floor, she fell face first into Bakura's chest.  
  
Hana looked up at Bakura with her cheeks red with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, Bakura!"  
  
Bakura smiled his sweet, friendly smile. "It's quite all right. I suppose you spoke too soon!" he chuckled lightly.  
  
Hana giggled.  
  
"Uh, Bakura?"  
  
Hana and Bakura turned to the right to see little Yugi standing there with a confused expression. Hana continued to be red in the face as she quickly stood up with the help of Bakura for support. Once she was standing properly, Bakura turned to Hana.  
  
"Well, I ought to be going. It was fun, Hana. Later Yugi!" With that, Bakura turned to leave the arcade.  
  
"Um, ok. Bye, Bakura!" Hana shouted to him over the noise of the people.  
  
Yugi watched as Bakura exited. 'What was Bakura doing here?' he wondered. 'He doesn't normally hang out at arcades.' Yugi thought back to a few seconds ago when he saw Bakura and Hana together.  
  
"Yugi? Are you all right?"  
  
"Huh?" he looked up and saw Hana smile at him.  
  
"Glade to see you could make it!" she smiled brightly.  
  
Yugi returned her cheerful smile. "Of course!" He watched as her face seemed to beam brighter if was even possible. He liked her smiled. It was somehow contagious, giving him a warm, happy feeling in his heart. "So what did you have in mind?"  
  
Hana had finished tying her jacket back around her waist. "Well, I thought maybe we could go to the park, if that's ok with you." She shyly looked away.  
  
"That sounds like fun!" Yugi answered. "The weather has finally changed from rain to shine!"  
  
"Ok then! Let's go!"  
  
*******  
  
Hana and Yugi walked through the busy town until they finally reached the park. Everything was so green from all the rain they had been receiving that week. Hana and Yugi wondered around on the many paths, just enjoying the surrounding nature.  
  
"It sure is a gorgeous here!" Hana commented. "I do like the rain, but days like this are nice too."  
  
Yugi smiled and nodded. "The park here is usually kept pretty clean."  
  
"Well that's good to hear!" Hana closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh breeze that brushed her face. "Sometimes I like to come to the park after school to do my homework. I find it very tranquil here and that makes homework less stressful."  
  
"That sounds really nice."  
  
"You should come with me sometime." She smiled.  
  
"I'd like that." Yugi smiled back.  
  
Their conversations were kept pretty much like this. Simple, innocent, and nice. They seemed to just be enjoying one another's company.  
  
"Oh wow!" Hana ran to a bridge that crossed a little stream of water. The stream led to a man-made pond that had ducks and geese swimming about in it. Hana ran all the way to the middle of the bridge. She climbed up on part of the wood railing and leaned over to get a better view. "Look at the water! It's so beautiful!"  
  
Yugi followed her and leaned on the railing next to her. "Yeah! It looks like something you'd find in a fairy tale or a painting!"  
  
"Hm." Hana agreed as she leaned out farther over the railing. Proving once more her lack of coordination, Hana began to fall forward. "Whoa!"  
  
"Be careful, Hana!" Yugi's reflexes automatically reached for Hana to keep her from falling in the water. In doing so, Yugi managed to grab Hana by her waist.  
  
Hana blushed horribly not only with embarrassment from her clumsiness, but for that fact that she felt Yugi's hands around her. She carefully climbed down. Yugi finally let go once Hana was securely on the ground once more.  
  
Yugi blushed when he replayed the scene in his head. "I'm sorry. I just saw you were going to fall and I just reacted without really thinking."  
  
Hana smiled at Yugi with her face still red. "No! Thanks Yugi! If you hadn't have acted so quickly, I probably would have fallen in!" she chuckled nervously. "I'm not the most graceful person. Well, you saw me at the arcade."  
  
"Oh yeah." Yugi thought back.  
  
"Yugi?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Are you coming?" Hana laughed. She was a few feet in front of him.  
  
"Yeah!" He answered as he hurried up to Hana.  
  
As they continued walking, Yugi remembered when he saw Hana and Bakura together. He couldn't describe it but he felt weird. It was like a sick feeling in his chest.  
  
Yugi looked over at Hana. She turned to him and smiled. 'How is it that Hana can make my heart smile when she smiles and when she was with Bakura if felt- weird? Not only is Hana my friend but so is Bakura. So why did I feel like that? What could it be?'  
  
"Yugi? Are you ok?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You got really quiet all of the sudden."  
  
Yugi saw the look of concern she gave him. 'She was so kind and caring.' He smiled at her in reassurance. "I'm fine, Hana. I really like hanging out with you."  
  
"Well, I like hanging out with you too, Yugi." Hana blushed. There was a silence before Hana spoke. "Oh, look at the sun set!" she pointed out at a clearing through the trees.  
  
Yugi looked towards the horizon and smiled. He then turned and looked at Hana. The light of the sun seemed to be pouring over her body and highlighting her features. Yugi then noticed something for the first time. Hana's eyes where a beautiful honey brown and the setting sun made them look dazzling.  
  
Yami was standing next to Yugi and was too, looking at Hana with a smile on his face. 'Reira.' He thought.  
  
Hana looked over to see Yugi looking at her. She blushed. "What is it?" she asked.  
  
"Hm? Oh nothing." He turned away shyly.  
  
Hana tilted her head slightly. "Yugi." She began. Not sure why, she reached for his hand and grabbed it.  
  
Yugi turned to her just as she did so. "Hana?"  
  
Hana suddenly had a slight stunned look on her face before beginning to look faint. However, the whole time, she had her hand up by her heart. 'I can sense him.'  
  
Hana collapsed on Yugi's shoulder.  
  
"Hana? Hana! Are you ok?" Yugi blushed as he held her.  
  
'Yugi.'  
  
"Yami! Something has happen to Hana!"  
  
'Hm' he responded.  
  
"What's wrong with her?"  
  
'It's Reira.'  
  
"The other spirit?"  
  
'Yes, she's trying to emerge again.'  
  
"Is Hana ok?"  
  
'She will be fine, I believe. But if Reira does emerge, I must speak with her.'  
  
Yugi nodded. "Ok." He then looked down at the unconscious Hana.  
  
Yami smiled. 'I will make sure she is ok.' He comforted Yugi.  
  
Yugi and Yami switched minds and now Yami was in control. When he opened his eyes, he felt Hana's long black hair on his neck and saw her still limp on his shoulder. 'I can feel her spirit.' He brushed the hair out of her face. "Reira?" Yami felt a light squeeze on his hand. When he looked down, he saw it was Hana's hand in his.  
  
He heard her moan slightly. "Yami?" she spoke as she tried to sit up. Yami helped her by putting his hand on her shoulder. When she sat up, she held her head with her hands and rubbed her face.  
  
"Are you all right?" he spoke gently.  
  
She looked up at him and smiled. "I am now." She let herself collapse on his shoulder and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.  
  
Yami put his arms around her and they embraced.  
  
*******  
  
Aw! Yugi is so innocent and cute! He doesn't even know he's experiencing jealousy for the first time! Yugi is so innocent and naïve that poor shy Hana is the one to make the first move! Reira and Yami finally get to talk face to face after all these years! What is Bakura up to? More to be revealed next chapter! See you then!  
  
Tiger LiLy =^..^= 


	5. Revealing the Past

Spirit of the Heart  
  
By: Tiger LiLy  
  
*******  
  
Disclaimer: I own what I own.  
  
*******  
  
Chapter 5: Revealing the Past  
  
Yami pulled back from his embrace with Reira. He looked in her eyes. "Reira, tell me, how is it that you are here?"  
  
"It is a difficult tale, my Pharaoh." She reached up with both her hands and touched his face while looking into his eyes. "It has been so long."  
  
Yami reached up and gently grabbed her wrists. He led her upward so that they were both standing. He was slightly taller. "Please, I must know."  
  
"It's like I said before. Anything is possible with love and magic." Reira slipped out of his loose hold on her wrists, turned from him, and walked off the path to the shoreline of the pond.  
  
Yami followed her and stopped a couple feet behind her. He waited for her to speak.  
  
"You left me." she spoke.  
  
"I did?"  
  
"Don't you remember?"  
  
"My past is still much of a mystery to me."  
  
"Then how is it you remember me?" she turned to him.  
  
"I don't know. Maybe my heart remembers you though my memories have faded."  
  
Reira said nothing. She turned her back to him again. "I remember- I remember waking up early one morning to find you gone from my side. We had made such sweet love that night. I was not our first, but it shunned out the other times. Do you remember?" she turned to him again.  
  
Yami saddened. "I'm afraid I don't."  
  
Reira looked sad as she momentarily turned from him. She then looked back to him and approached him. "You're memorizes might have faded but they can't be forgotten. Please, you must remember something about our time together."  
  
"I don't-"  
  
"You held me to you so I was perfectly pressed to your body." Reira stood close to him. "You brushed your hand across my cheek and held my neck." She moved his hand to do so. "I thought you were then going to kiss me, but instead-"  
  
"Instead-" He interrupted. "I looked in your eyes and whispered- to you."  
  
She looked up at him pleading him with her eyes. "Do you remember what you said?" she asked barely above a whisper.  
  
He looked at her for a long moment. "I said- I loved you." He managed to reply.  
  
Reira had tears of joy swelled in her eyes. "It was the first time you had said that to me."  
  
"Yes, and you returned my love by, too, saying that you loved me." He managed to recall.  
  
There was a moment of silence as they stood together. Reira just looked up at Yami with tears in her eyes still.  
  
"You said I left you?" Yami asked.  
  
Reira looked down. "Yes. I could feel that something was wrong when I didn't see you when I woke up. I put on my robes and ventured forth in search for you. That's when I found out that you were gone from this place."  
  
"Gone?"  
  
"Yes, you did what you had to do to save the world from its destruction" she paused. "To save me. You always told me that you would let no harm come to me." Reira's tears began to fall. "But I felt abandoned! Alone!" she let her head fall on his chest and began to sob.  
  
"Reira, I'm so sorry for causing you so much pain."  
  
"I couldn't bare the pain! I couldn't go on living without you!" Reira pulled out the necklace around her neck. "This is the necklace you gave me, and with it, I would find my way back to you. And I did."  
  
"Reira, how did-?"  
  
"Please, Yami! Please! I can't! I can't talk about this anymore now! My heart hurts too much!" she cried.  
  
Yami nodded. "I'm so sorry, Reira. I would never intentionally hurt you. I know I couldn't."  
  
"Yes, I know." She whispered as she hid her face in his chest once more.  
  
Yami wrapped his arms around her in a gentle embrace. He breathed in her sent as he stroked her hair in comfort. Her scent is different now but still alluring. He wrapped his arms around her tighter so that she was pressed firmly to his body. Reira felt this and her eyes opened. Her eyes still shined with tears as she looked up at him in wonder.  
  
"This is how I held you." He spoke. "When you were sad, or whether I needed comfort."  
  
She starred at him for a moment with surprise. "Yes." She responded.  
  
Reira tightened the embrace so her body could press more to Yami. She liked the feeling of his chest pressed against hers. How she had missed him. Through his clothes, she could feel the bulge of his member against her. Her body tingled with the thought and her body shivered.  
  
Yami felt her shiver. "Are you cold?" He looked over at the setting sun. "It's getting dark fast. I'll take you home. We'll talk more there."  
  
Reira looked up at him and nodded. Once more, they broke their embrace. Yami took her hand and they left for Hana's home.  
  
Not far from where Yami and Reira had been, there was a figure behind a tree. He watched as Yami and Reira left and a small chuckle came from somewhere deep in his throat. It was none other than Bakura. "Everything is working perfectly." He smirked.  
  
*******  
  
They entered to find no one home. Reira was a few steps ahead of Yami. She took a short look at her surroundings. This place did feel like home- well, a home; not her home. However, her home is in the past, something she can only go back to in the few memories she can recall.  
  
"Reira? Shall we go into the living room?" Yami asked.  
  
Reira turned to Yami and nodded. He guided her into the living room where they sat on the couch.  
  
Once seated, Yami took Reira's hands in his. "I know this is difficult for you, but I need you to tell me everything you can remember."  
  
Reira gave him sad eyes. "Oh my Pharaoh." She let her right hands slip out of his and she caressed his cheek. "You have forgotten so much."  
  
"Yes, this is why I need you to tell me everything you remember. I need to find out what my purpose for being here is and you're memories could help me."  
  
Reira took a deep breath. "The one thing I can recall most vivid is our last night together. I don't remember how we came to be an item though." Reira retracted her right hand from Yami's face and she gingerly grabbed the necklace around her neck. "I do recall some incidents with this necklace."  
  
Reira had a quick flashback of the palace and Yami giving her the gold box with the necklace inside. She remembered him helping her put it on.  
  
"This necklace was a gift from you, my Pharaoh."  
  
"Yes, when I saw Hana with it, I recognized it."  
  
Reira smiled. She was glad he was remembering something about them and their past together.  
  
"I heard you speak my name while dueling." She spoke. "How did you remember me?"  
  
"It was the Dark Magician Girl card Hana used in her duel with Yugi. The last and only time had I seen someone use it was when you did long ago."  
  
"How can you remember that?"  
  
"Because women were forbidden to participate in the Shadow Games. But- I do not recall the reason."  
  
"It is because women were seen as inferior to men. It was said that our minds were too weak to handle the intensity of a duel." She said while facing straight ahead of herself.  
  
Yami looked at Reira who looked strictly solemn. She turned back to him. "But I had too."  
  
He sat silently giving her permission to continue.  
  
"My mother was a very proud woman. After my father passed on, we found ourselves unable to afford the necessities we needed. People had offered to help us but my mother would not accept their kind generosity."  
  
"It is hard for people to accept charity when they know they need it. It's like an admission of defeat." Yami tried to reason.  
  
"But she didn't just have me! She had my younger sister to care for as well!"  
  
Yami was silent, not sure of what to say.  
  
"Mother declined charities and refused to have her daughters reduced to being pick-pockets." She sighed. "So, I took matters into my own hands. I was the eldest in my family as well as the strongest. I had to find a way to earn some money and quickly."  
  
Yami nodded. "What did you do?"  
  
She was silent for a moment. "I can't recall what happened."  
  
Yami looked disappointed.  
  
"I'm sorry, my Pharaoh." She hung her head.  
  
"It is alright, Reira." He placed his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him. "Are you thirst? Would you like some water?"  
  
Reira nodded. Yami stood up and Reira quickly stood up too. "My Pharaoh, please, allow me." she walked ahead of him into the kitchen.  
  
Yami hesitantly sat back down. "This is not necessary." He spoke to her from where he sat.  
  
Reira returned shortly with two cups in hand. She knelt next to the coffee table near Yami and placed the cups there.  
  
"Thank you, Reira." Yami took a drink of water.  
  
Reira turned slightly from him. "A tavern." She mumbled.  
  
Yami looked up at her and placed his cup back down. "Huh?"  
  
"I served at a tavern." She recalled. "It was a disgusting pigsty with filthy lecherous drunks." Her fists were clenched tight.  
  
Yami nodded.  
  
"I hated it. I hated being there. I felt dirty just looking at them half passed out on the tables, rolling in their filth." She cringed. "That's when I began to wonder."  
  
"Wonder what?"  
  
"Wonder if men weren't as superior as we are to believe. I observed their behavior and they were truly not men but pigs."  
  
"I see." Yami nodded.  
  
"Since then I was convinced that women could be the same if not better than a man. That men and women could be-"  
  
"Equals?" Yami filled in.  
  
"Yes. All I needed to do now was to prove it. That's when I decided to duel. If I could duel, it would prove that not all women are weak and can be a man's equal."  
  
"How did you duel without being found out?"  
  
"I wore a cloche and hood to hind my feminine features and hardly spoke, but when I did speak, I remembered to carry on with a deep voice." Reira chuckled some in amusement. "I dueled for quite some time before I was discovered."  
  
"Then what happened?"  
  
"One day-"  
  
*Flashback*  
  
"I summon The Wicked Worm Beast!" an Egyptian man shouted. He began to chant a prayer and the beast had risen from its dormant state within a giant stone tablet within the temple.  
  
The opponent, a figure in a cloche and hood, stood watched in silents.  
  
"Summon your beast if you dare!" the man shouted with his chest puffed out in arrogance.  
  
The figure remained unfazed. The opponent in question obliged and whispered a chant. During this, a giant stone tablet had risen and out forth came the monster of a mystical elf quality. Do not be fooled by the creature's appearance, this was no mere elf. This was a lady of spells and magic; the Dark Magician Girl.  
  
The man took a step back in puzzlement. The monster before him looked like a girl. She stood motionless. She looked almost as if sleeping. She just stood there in air. Never before had he seen a creature like this. He heard stories of such a creature but never knew if it were to be real.  
  
The hooded figure raised an arm and pointed at the worm beast. The girl magician's eyes snapped open. She took a tight grip of her staff in her right hand and began to twirl it like a baton. The man watched in wonder when suddenly she stopped and froze. Suddenly her arm raised the staff above her head and forcefully pointed back down to the Wicked Worm Beast. A blast of energy emitted from the staff's end and the worm beast was destroyed.  
  
The man stood in disbelief of the power of this gentle looking monster that had easily destroyed his beast.  
  
"No! My Wicked Worm Beast!" the man cried out as he fell to his knees and held his head in shame.  
  
The hooded figure walked over and stood before the man. The man looked up to see the figure with an outstretched arm, wanting their reward for winning.  
  
Angry for his loss, the man stood up and grabbed the figure by the cloche. "You couldn't have beaten me! Who are you?!" he demanded.  
  
The hood fell from the figure's head to reveal a very shocked young Egyptian woman.  
  
The man was both shocked and angry. He threw her down to the ground. "A bitch?!" he barked. Her sweet honey eyes glared up at him from behind some strands of her raven hair. She spoke not a word.  
  
He spat on her and demanded to know who she belonged to. (A/N: What he means is does she live with her father, is she someone's servant, or does she have a husband.) She but only stared at him with a piercing glare.  
  
"I see, then you are a stupid whore who gets by with stealing from merchants and fucking drunks for pennies." He looked at her with disgust.  
  
The young woman wanted nothing more than to make him eat those words; those vile, hateful words like poison, but knew she could not.  
  
"You're going to rot in a dark, filthy prison for what you did, bitch!"  
  
'Sore loser.' She thought.  
  
He grabbed her by the arm and yanked her up towards him. "You're very pretty for some slut from the streets." He observed. "Maybe I should help myself before I turn you in."  
  
The young woman's heart began to beat fast with anger.  
  
"What's going on here?" a couple of guards approached the man.  
  
"This whore was tampering with powers of the Shadow Realm." He threw her at the guards' feet.  
  
"Grab the girl." The head guard ordered.  
  
Two of the guards grabbed her while the man told the head guard of what happened. After he finished, the head guard turned and walked up to the young woman. He leaned in close to her face. "Women are forbidden to participate in Shadow Games. Shadow Games are nothing to be tampered with." He said almost threateningly. "Now you will pay for your insolence."  
  
The young woman looked away and said nothing. The man watched as she was carried away. She spent the night alone crying in the cold, damp prison cells.  
  
*******  
  
The next day, the girl woke to the sound of metal clanging. When she lifted her head up from her knees and looked up, she saw two guards. One had a ring of keys and was opening the lock. She swallowed hard wondering what fate had been bestowed upon her.  
  
*******  
  
Sorry for the cliffhanger! I'll update as soon as I can! Questions? Comments? Concerns? Tell me! Please review too! Thanks!  
  
Tiger LiLy =^..^= 


	6. Egypt's Desert Rose

Spirit of the Heart  
  
By: Tiger LiLy  
  
*******  
  
Disclaimer: I own what I own.  
  
*******  
  
Chapter 6: Egypt's Desert Rose  
  
"I wanted to ask what was going on but spoke not a word out of fear. But when I saw a chance for escape, I feared for my life enough to take the risk."  
  
(Continue Flashback)  
  
The guards each grabbed an arm of the girl as they forcefully led her along. One of the guards had graciously informed the girl that she was being taken to the Pharaoh to decide a fitting punishment.  
  
She seemed to be struggling for breath. They guards paid no heed until the girl became limp in their grasps.  
  
"What happen?" one guard asked.  
  
"I think she fainted is all." The other replied.  
  
"I'll go fetch the healer." Replied one guard as he went off.  
  
The other guard looked away for only a moment before he turned back to discover that the girl had disappeared. "Wha-?" He turned and could see the figure of a person running down one of the many great halls before taking a turn. "Damnit!"  
  
*******  
  
Her heart was pounding fiercely in her chest as she ran, frantically looking for a way out of this giant maze of a palace. She knew the Pharaoh would sentence her to death, and like anyone, she didn't want to die; she couldn't die.  
  
She took many passageways until she found herself in the presence of a man. By the looks of his robes he had to be important. She froze, slightly dumbfounded, not knowing what to do. Her mind screamed for her to run but her body could not comply.  
  
The man grabbed her by the arm and pulled her with him. "What the hell are you doing!? I don't have patience nor the time to be messing around with a stupid whore! Change out of those filthy clothes this instant!" He forcefully swung open a door and shoved her inside.  
  
The girl found herself in giant room that was beautifully furnished, but she wasn't the only one within. There where about thirty, maybe fifty other girls inside. She recognized many of them from the markets. They were all dressing in scandalous clothes, each girl wearing a different color or sometimes the same color.  
  
"Sister!" a voice shouted. She turned to see her younger sister run up to her. She was a girl of 14 years and had short raven hair and dark brown eyes. "Where have you been!" she threw her arms around her.  
  
"Nikkou? What-?"  
  
"Quick! You must bathe and dress!"  
  
Nikkou helped her sister to bathe quickly. After that, she helped her find her some robes. "I was so worried when you didn't return home last night! I guess you were taken to the palace last night, right?"  
  
"Um, you could say that. Nikki, what's going on?"  
  
"You don't know? A high nobleman has went through a lot of trouble to gather every young girl that can be found nearby for some dinner party he's throwing for the Pharaoh! And we're going to be the night's entertainment!"  
  
"Oh. I- Is the Pharaoh going to be there?"  
  
"Of course he is!" Another girl said. "We're more than just tonight's entertainment."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"The Pharaoh doesn't know it yet, but after tonight, he'll be waking up next to his bride to be."  
  
"What?"  
  
"That's why the high nobleman is throwing this party, so the Pharaoh can maybe finally choose a bride." Another girl chipped in.  
  
The two sisters were silent.  
  
"Here, let me help you." Nikkou said as she held up a red cloth.  
  
"Nikki-"  
  
"Red seems to suit you well." She smiled.  
  
"Come." She spoke and held her sister.  
  
"I just thought we were going to dance for the evening. I was nervous but now- now I'm scared." Nikkou began to sob quietly.  
  
'I am too, but for other reasons.' She thought.  
  
"Some people say the Pharaoh is a wise and wonderful king. But I heard some people say that the Pharaoh is a mean cold-hearted tyrant. What if what they say is true? What if he really is cold-hearted and cruel?"  
  
"I'm afraid I do not know what kind of man the Pharaoh is, but I know that I will not let him bring harm to my younger sister." She comforted.  
  
"Thank you." Nikkou thanked her for her comforting.  
  
Nikkou helped wrap a piece of red clothe around her sister's chest and a longer piece around her waist for a skirt that almost touched the ground.  
  
Most of the girls looked the same, some were taller than others or had longer hair, but they all had black or brown hair and they wore nearly the same thing. They wore no sandles so it was easier to dance.  
  
When it was time, some guards came to escort the women to the throne room where the party was being held.  
  
The young woman took a deep breath. She tried to keep her face hidden so that no one will recognize her, by chance someone where to scout her out in the crowd of women.  
  
The room was full of food and men along with their cheers for the entertainers. The girls gathered into the middle of the room and waited for the music to play. When they music started, it was their cue to start. All they had to do was to dance and flaunt with the guests, but especially with the Pharaoh.  
  
Some of the girls did so shyly while others where more showy. For the honey eyed, scarlet dressed girl, she tried to stay away from the men so not to be spotted, but that ended up being her down fall.  
  
"Are you enjoying yourself, my Pharaoh?"  
  
"Oh, uh yes, this is wonderful party."  
  
"You seemed distracted, my Pharaoh."  
  
"Yes." The Pharaoh replied.  
  
"Leave your troubles for tonight and enjoy yourself, my Pharaoh."  
  
"Thank you, Bakura. You did an excellent job putting this all together, but why?"  
  
"I hoped that you would take an interest in the entertainment I prepared. I believe tonight's entertainment will put your mind at ease."  
  
The Pharaoh looked up and for the first time noticed the large number of female dancers. He turned to Bakura. "Why do you insist for me to take a bride, Bakura?"  
  
"I'm just looking out for Egypt's well being as well as your own, Pharaoh. Every great king needs a queen to bare him a son so he can become a great Pharaoh like his father."  
  
"Hm." The Pharaoh acknowledged.  
  
"And I'm sure a queen would know how to take care of her king after a hard day of ruling Egypt, wouldn't you say?" Bakura grinned slyly.  
  
The Pharaoh gave no acknowledgement. "I know you mean well, Bakura, but I'm far too busy dealing with matters of the Shadow Games."  
  
"I have over fifty girls here tonight, my Pharaoh, I believe by the end of the evening, you may change you mind."  
  
Bakura walked away from the Pharaoh and scanned the crowd of girls. One of them will end up in the Pharaoh's bedchamber by tonight. He had to make sure of it. That's when he spotted her. She was the only girl dancing all alone as if no one was even around. Though she was dancing alone, she danced very well. Her movements were smooth and almost hypnotic not to mention those eyes of her's. She was definitely beautiful.  
  
Bakura walked up to the girl and grabbed her arm discreetly. "Follow me please." He said to her.  
  
Nervous, she did so. He led her out of the party and gave her one more look over.  
  
"Yes, you will do. You shall dance for the Pharaoh and do so until you are excused, understood?"  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Now listen carefully. I don't want any funny business. When you go out there, you give it all you got. Anything less and you will have to deal with a disappointed Pharaoh." He warned.  
  
She nodded again.  
  
"Good. Now stay here until I give you the go ahead." He then left.  
  
Bakura approached the thrown and bowed before the Pharaoh. The Pharaoh nodded, giving Bakura permission to speak.  
  
"My Pharaoh, with your permission, it is my pleaser to present to you, a gift."  
  
"A gift?"  
  
"Yes, my Pharaoh. I think you will indeed enjoy it." he grinned.  
  
The Pharaoh nodded to Bakura.  
  
"I present to the Pharaoh something very rare; one of a kind. It is Egypt's Desert Rose!" Bakura waved his hand to start the musicians.  
  
When he did so, a red figure made her way out from behind a curtain. She began to move and twirl slowly to the music. Her movements were smooth a silk. Her raven hair hid her face most of the time.  
  
Nearly all the men were entranced by her movements so she figured the Pharaoh was as well. She slowed down her pace enough so she could get a look at the Pharaoh. She looked up at the man sitting on the throne. His face was serious; solemn. His eyes watched her intensely with the same unnerving expression. Had she done something wrong? Was he not pleased? Did he know who she was and how she got here? She wanted nothing more than to quit right there and leave but knew she didn't have that option.  
  
She glanced back up at his eyes. 'What beautiful eyes.' She thought.  
  
Her thoughts were disrupted when suddenly she felt a sharp impact of two boulders crushing her. When she looked, she saw that she was being grabbed by two guards.  
  
"What is going on here?" The Pharaoh asked as he rose from his throne.  
  
"What is the meaning of this?" Bakura demanded from the guards.  
  
"Our apologies, but this girl is an escapee." Answered one of the guards.  
  
Bakura was astonished. "What?"  
  
"What is her crime?" The Pharaoh demanded.  
  
"She was arrested for tampering with the Shadow Realm."  
  
The crowd began to sound outraged.  
  
"How did she commit this crime?" Bakura asked.  
  
"She dueled."  
  
'That's how she eared so much money so fast.' Nikkou realized as she watched her sister.  
  
The Pharaoh looked down at the small woman between the two guards who was trying to be brave. "What is your name?" he asked.  
  
There was a moment of silence in the room.  
  
"Reira." She spoke.  
  
The crowd began to shout. "Punish her! Send her to the Shadow Realm!"  
  
"NO!"  
  
The people watched as a girl ran to Reira.  
  
"NO! REIRA!" Nikkou cried as she ran and clung to her sister.  
  
A guard came up and tried to pry her away.  
  
"NO! NO!" she cried.  
  
"Go, Nikkou. Leave me; now" Reira spoke to Nikkou.  
  
"No! I won't leave you! Please! No!" she cried.  
  
One of the guards threatened to strike Nikkou but the Pharaoh held up his hand and told him no. He looked down at Reira and stared at her eyes full of courage and fear as she stared back, waiting to accept the fate she would be giving.  
  
The Pharaoh looked to one of the guards next to Reira. "Is there evidence to of which she is accused of?"  
  
"Just the word of the man who said he dueled her. He claimed she was disguised in robes and it wasn't until after the duel did he discover her identity of that of a woman."  
  
The Pharaoh was silent for a moment. "Since there seems to be no hard evidence against this woman besides the claim of one man, I find her innocent and all charges dropped."  
  
Reira felt like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Nikkou was relieved as well.  
  
"However, I do wish to speak with her later this evening." The Pharaoh looked at Reira.  
  
Reira swallowed a lump in her throat. Why did he want to talk to her?  
  
The guards bowed and escorted her out of the throne room.  
  
*******  
  
Reira waited for what seemed like an hour or so in a huge dim room. The sun was past set and the stars had quickly made their appearance in the night sky. She couldn't sit still. She knew that at any moment he would come through the doors, but why, she didn't know.  
  
The sound of the door creaking open startled her. She jumped and spun around to see the Pharaoh entering the room. She used up every last bit of courage she had when she was waiting for her sentence, now she had none left to steady her for whatever happened next.  
  
"Sorry for keeping you waiting for so long, the party was in my honor and I couldn't leave so early." The Pharaoh apologized.  
  
She nodded. She would not speak unless he gave permission.  
  
The Pharaoh approached her but in doing so she began to step back in retreat.  
  
"I'm sorry. I do not mean to frighten you. I merely wish to speak with you."  
  
She nodded shyly.  
  
He walked over to a set of chairs and sat. He motioned for her to sit in the opposing chair. She did so quietly and kept her eyes on the floor as she sat.  
  
"I wanted to speak with you because of what happened this evening."  
  
She nodded; eyes still fixed on the floor.  
  
"The accusation against you was very peculiar not to mention intriguing."  
  
She slowly looked up at him.  
  
He lend forward slightly. "Something like this has never happened before and I can't help but be skeptical. I would greatly like to know if the accusations against you were indeed true."  
  
She was silent for a moment. "No, it is not, my Pharaoh."  
  
He figured such an answer whether it was true or false. "You need not to be afraid. No harm will come to you if it is true. Have you ever dueled?"  
  
She took a breath. "No, my Pharaoh."  
  
He sat back. "I see. Then why would someone make such a claim against you?"  
  
"I- I would not know, my Pharaoh."  
  
"Well, just between you and me, I believe women could be just as capable to duel as men."  
  
She said nothing.  
  
The Pharaoh rose from his chair. "I will be retiring now. You may retire here until a servant is sent for you."  
  
Reira looked up at him in silent wonder.  
  
"Good evening, Reira." He spoke as he left.  
  
Reira sat for a moment trying to comprehend what was going on. What is he doing? Is she a prisoner or a guest?  
  
A yawn interrupted her thoughts as well as making the bed on the other side of the room look quite inviting. She looked inside the closet and found a change of robes to sleep in. She changed and crawled under the covers. The bed was big enough for three people and so much softer than her bed at home. She almost thought she was laying on a cloud as her mind slipped into silent slumber.  
  
*******  
  
'She tries to hide it but there is a spark in her. I know it's there. I can just barely see it.' The Pharaoh thought as he laid in his bed, the desert night breeze crept in and caressed his face softly.  
  
*******  
  
Another chapter! Reviews please! Thanks!  
  
Tiger LiLy =^..^= 


	7. A Friendly Game

Spirit of the Heart  
  
By: Tiger LiLy  
  
*******  
  
Disclaimer: I own what I own.  
  
*******  
  
Chapter 7: A Friendly Game  
  
(Continue Flashback)  
  
Reira woke with the sound of knocking at the door of the chamber. The Pharaoh spoke the truth and not only had he sent one servant, but he sent three. One woman drew a bath for Reira while the other two made the bed and cleaned the room.  
  
The woman who drew the bath, also helped Reira undress and bathe. Reira was very uncomfortable with such treatment but didn't say anything, unsure if that would be wise.  
  
After the bath, the women helped her dress and pampered her so she would be presentable to address the Pharaoh. When that was all done, the three women escorted her to the throne room.  
  
Reira followed the women into the huge room. It seemed much larger without all the people there. She liked it much better without all the people. The room did contain several guards as usual, and sitting on the throne was the Pharaoh as expected. He was talking to the same white haired man that she had met with the night before.  
  
The three women bowed before the Pharaoh. He nodded and they stepped aside. Reira stood alone before the mighty Pharaoh of Egypt. What was going to happen now?  
  
"Good morning." The Pharaoh spoke. "You slept well, I hope?"  
  
Reira bowed. "Yes, my Pharaoh."  
  
"Good. I would like to speak with you later in the day. Feel free to travel about wherever you wish."  
  
Reira was puzzled but tried to hide it. Why did he still want her here? He must know she lied last night.  
  
The Pharaoh called forth the three women. "Make sure she has something to eat." And with that the three women bowed and escorted Reira out of the throne room.  
  
Bakura smiled to himself and turned to the Pharaoh. "Pharaoh, if I may say, I think the gods must be pleased with you, do you not agree?"  
  
"I know what you're thinking, Bakura, and no. I merely wish to investigate the possibility of her participating in a duel."  
  
"But my Pharaoh, she's a woman. Her mind is frail."  
  
"Maybe not."  
  
"Are you sure that this is your only interest in her? Her mind may be frail like a flower, but she also possesses the beauty of one."  
  
"My intentions are true and nothing more."  
  
"Yes, my Pharaoh." Bakura bowed and exited the throne room.  
  
'It matters not to me whether or not she can duel or not.' Bakura thought as he walked down the hall. He looked out a window to see Reira outside. 'That girl makes the Pharaoh weak. She's just what I've been looking for. I can't let her leave.'  
  
Bakura walked up to a guard. "Do not let that girl leave the palace grounds. The Pharaoh's orders."  
  
The guard nodded and left to inform the others.  
  
Bakura smiled to himself. 'Yes, she will be able to weaken the Pharaoh through his heart, and then I will be able to take from the Pharaoh the power of his Millennium Puzzle. And I shall become all powerful.'  
  
*******  
  
After Reira had eaten, she took up the Pharaoh's offer and made her way out of the palace. She was going to go home. She needed to see her sister and let her know she was all right. She also needed to know if Nikkou and her mother were well. Of course she would come back. She had to. The Pharaoh wanted to speak with her again later that day. She would be back before then.  
  
But when Reira approached the gates, the guards there had blocked off her exit.  
  
"Please let me pass." She spoke.  
  
"We have orders from the Pharaoh that you may not leave the grounds." The head guard replied.  
  
Reira was confused. Didn't he say she could go where she pleased? Maybe he meant wherever as long as she was within the palace. She really was a prisoner here.  
  
She headed back inside the palace and decided to wander the halls while she worried over her family. They needed her; and she needed them.  
  
Reira was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn't see the man approaching her and nearly ran into him. "Forgive me." She bowed nervously. When she looked up, she recognized the man to be the one she saw this morning with the Pharaoh and last night at the party.  
  
"No, forgive me." He bowed, being very gentleman like. "Ah yes, you are the excellent dancer I was so fortunate to discover." He smiled.  
  
Reira blushed with embarrassment and nodded.  
  
"I'm glad I found you when I did. The Pharaoh has taken a real interest in you since then."  
  
Reira looked up at him in wonder.  
  
"Well, since last night's events, everyone has been talking about you. But it's no wonder why. The thought of a woman dueling is not something that happens everyday."  
  
Reira said nothing.  
  
"But then again, it's not everyday that the Pharaoh has a beautiful woman stay at the palace as his guest. Well, good day, Reira. I hope you'll enjoy your stay." He said before he left.  
  
'Guest?' she thought.  
  
*******  
  
Reira managed to find her way back to her room. While there, she laid on her bed as her thoughts consumed her.  
  
'What does he want with me? He must know I'm lying. He's trying to get me to confess and if I do, he'll have me sentenced to death. I can't- My family needs me! Nikkou- I can't leave her. Oh gods! I'm so scared! I'm so confused! I want to go home!' Reira squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold back her tears.  
  
Just then, there was a knock at her door and the three women entered like before. They informed her that the Pharaoh wished to see her. Reira followed them back into the throne room.  
  
The Pharaoh acknowledged her presence as he stood up from his throne and approached her. "I hope you found everything well."  
  
"Yes, my Pharaoh." She bowed.  
  
"Please, come."  
  
Reira followed him to one of the many rooms. She heard a loud sound behind her and spun around to see the guards had clothed the doors.  
  
"Please sit." He smiled as he gestured to a seat across a small table from him.  
  
Reira swallowed the lump in her throat and did as she was told. She was alone with the mighty Pharaoh of Egypt once more.  
  
"Do you like games?"  
  
Reira blinked at the sudden question.  
  
The Pharaoh just smiled and continued on as if she had responded. "I like games. Especially games that take strategic thinking. I'm afraid I don't like running from a challenge."  
  
Reira nodded.  
  
He looked at her for a moment. "I usually come to this room at this time if I can and play a game or two with someone. Would you care to be my opponent today?"  
  
"I- If my Pharaoh wishes it so." She replied.  
  
"Here, let's see if you know this one." He grabbed a block of stone that had little dips carved into it. In each hole were five stones. "The object is to get the most stones into your section here." He pointed to a larger hole. "You grab the stones and drop one into each hole as you go around to the right until you use all your stones."  
  
(A/N: They're playing the game Mancalla. I like playing it. I don't want to go into details about how to play so if you don't know anything about Mancalla, go find out about it.)  
  
The Pharaoh proceeded to explain the game to Reira. "Now then, why don't you start." He offered. Reira stared at the board for a moment before she picked up four stones in one and dropped them into their places. He looked at her after she finished. "Now, I think I should tell you, I believe in fair play. I want your best game."  
  
Reira choked. She only made ONE move in the game and he could tell she was throwing the game! She could have made a better move in the game but had chosen a poor start.  
  
'She knows more then she pretends to.' The Pharaoh thought. "I am not a sore loser. I expect you to play your best."  
  
"Yes, my Pharaoh." Reira responded.  
  
*******  
  
"Shall we play again?" The Pharaoh asked. They had already played six games and he won each one.  
  
Reira grew angry inside. 'He's taunting me!' she thought. 'He just want to keep playing to win just to get at me! How dare he!'  
  
"Yes, my Pharaoh." She replied.  
  
This intrigued the Pharaoh. He was expecting something more along the lines of 'If my Pharaoh wishes'.  
  
'It would seem she is starting to come out of her shell.' He thought.  
  
Reira's moves became better; more thought out. The Pharaoh seemed to be slipping in game. Then the unmentionable happened. She won.  
  
She stared down in silent shock of what she had just done. Would he be angry with her? How could she have aloud herself to do that?! She was not just below the Pharaoh, she was also a woman! Her heart raced as she thought all of this.  
  
"Very good! I see you are finally getting the hang of it!" The Pharaoh smiled at Reira.  
  
Reira was shocked and confused but kept silent.  
  
"I'm afraid I must go attend to business. Please feel free to go about wherever you please." He said as he got up and left the room.  
  
She blinked at the door he just exited through. She then turned back to the game they had played and she stared at it for some time. She suddenly realized something.  
  
"He threw the game. He let me win."  
  
*******  
  
Reira was greatly troubled by the Pharaoh's behavior. She didn't understand. She wanted to confront him but was scared to. What if she was wrong?  
  
That evening, she went to the throne room to confront the Pharaoh. The guards stopped her from entering because she didn't have permission. The Pharaoh saw she had come and let her pass. He sent the guards away so to speak privately with Reira.  
  
"What brings you?" he asked.  
  
Reira swallowed the lump in her throat and bowed before him. "My Pharaoh, I- I wish to ask you something."  
  
"Go on." He said giving her permission.  
  
"My Pharaoh, I am not familiar with the game we played this afternoon and I don't believe that I could have possibly won to someone as skilled at the game as you are."  
  
"Are you asking if I threw the game?"  
  
Reira choked and slightly nodded her head.  
  
"I didn't think you would notice."  
  
"My Pharaoh?" she asked in surprise.  
  
"Yes, I let you win. Do forgive me but I wanted you to see that it was alright."  
  
"What is alright?"  
  
"For the Pharaoh to lose a friendly game once in awhile!" he laughed.  
  
"Yes, my Pharaoh." She bowed before leaving.  
  
"Reira?"  
  
She turned to him.  
  
"We shall play again tomorrow and this time, we will both play our best."  
  
"Yes, my Pharaoh."  
  
When Reira got back to her room, she sat quietly on her bed and thought. 'Maybe the Pharaoh is much kinder then I perceive him to be.'  
  
*******  
  
Sorry for the long update! I had trouble with this chapter! I hope it's ok! Please review!  
  
Tiger LiLy =^..^= 


	8. The Rekindling of an Old Flame

Spirit of the Heart  
  
By: Tiger LiLy  
  
*******  
  
Disclaimer: I own what I own.  
  
(A/N: Warning! This chapter contains lime! No lemon! Sorry!)  
  
*******  
  
Chapter 8: The Rekindling of an Old Flame  
  
"A week had passed and during that time, I found the Pharaoh to be not as I had perceived him to be. He showed me kindness and equality. That's when I made my first confrontation."  
  
(Continue Flashback now in Reira's POV)  
  
The Pharaoh had asked if I would accompany him as he took walk around the palace.  
  
"My Pharaoh, may I ask a question?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"My Pharaoh, might I ask, why am I not aloud to leave the palace?"  
  
He gave me a quizzical look. "What?"  
  
"A week ago I wanted to go see my family put I wasn't permitted to leave."  
  
He frowned but his voice was gentle. "I never gave such orders."  
  
Now I looked quizzical.  
  
"You wish to see your family?"  
  
"Yes." I nodded.  
  
The Pharaoh then called over a servant. "Take Reira to my finest chariot and find her an escort so that she may go see her family." He then turned back to me. "I wish for you to come back."  
  
"If the Pharaoh wishes it so, then I will." I bowed.  
  
"I do." He smiled.  
  
I then left with the servant.  
  
*******  
  
My second confrontation I was faced with when I spoke to my sister.  
  
"Are you in love with the Pharaoh?" Nikkou asked with wide eyes.  
  
I had told her of all the events the week had for me. "In love with the Pharaoh?" I scoffed at the preposterous idea. "I can't fall in love with the Pharaoh! He is the Pharaoh, and I am me."  
  
But after I had said that, I felt something strange. I thought it came from stomach but I discovered it was coming from my heart. A sick feeling I had not ever experienced.  
  
*******  
  
When I returned to the palace, to the Pharaoh, I still felt my strange illness. That's when I made my first confession.  
  
"My Pharaoh?"  
  
"Come in, Reira. You wanted to see me?"  
  
"Yes." I stepped inside shyly. I was so nervous and it didn't help the ill feeling.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"First, I wanted to thank you for allowing me to visit my family."  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Second, I would like to confess."  
  
"Confess?"  
  
"Yes, my Pharaoh. I want to confess to my charges. I did participate in a shadow game." I hung my head.  
  
"I thought as such." He replied.  
  
I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping he really was the kind king he had shone me this past week. I then heard his footsteps as approached me. His gentle hand reached out and his fingers guided my chin up. Before I knew it, I was staring into his dark violet eyes.  
  
"I release you of all charges. You did no crime."  
  
A look of surprise was across my face. He must have thought it funny since he smiled and removed his hand from my face. I felt warm all over. He had never touched me before. It was so soft and gentle. The illness of my heart could only get worse the more I thought about it. I couldn't control it. My heart begged for me to continue my admission. That's when I made my second confession.  
  
"My Pharaoh."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I wish to confess again."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I love you." Before I realized I had said those words, they flowed over my tongue and dripped from my lips. "I love you."  
  
He looked at me; into my eyes. With each passing second of silence, the sickness in my heart grew worse. I couldn't stand it.  
  
"Please, my Pharaoh, don't deny me. I need you."  
  
He seemed troubled. Conflicted eternally. I could see it in his eyes. I gently took his hand, held it to my face, and savored the feel of his skin. "I've never, in all my life, met someone so kind to me. Please, let me be with you even if it is for one night; tonight."  
  
I felt tears fall down my cheeks and wet his hand. He took his free hand and touched the other cheek and wiped my tears. I looked up at him in wonder.  
  
"I don't want you only for one night."  
  
My lips quivered when he leaned into me and touched my lips with his. I suddenly felt the illness in my heart lift and melt away. I was now floating; flying.  
  
I gasped when he continued his assault of kisses down my neck. "My Pharaoh." I breathed.  
  
He then lifted his head and looked in my eyes. He leaned in to my ear and whispered. "Yami."  
  
'Yami?' I then felt him assault my neck once more. "Oh, Yami. My Yami." I breathed in his ear.  
  
*******  
  
I woke up to the bright sun shining down on me. Never had I slept this long into the day but I new the reason for my fatigue, and he was lying next to me.  
  
My eyes fluttered to adjust to the light. When I could see, I looked up and into the eyes of the Pharaoh. I did not know how long he had been watching me but he looked like he had been awake for a while. A sweet, lazy smile greeted me.  
  
There was a suddenly knock at the chamber door. My grip on the sheets tightened, as I made sure my nude form was covered. I watched as Yami rose out of the bed and dressed in a robe to answer his chamber door, for my sake, instead of giving permission to the servant or whomever to enter.  
  
The Pharaoh had daily business to attend to and had to leave me, but only for a while.  
  
"I must leave you for now." He spoke as he dressed himself. He would not allow any of his servants to enter his chamber so he had to dress himself.  
  
He then came to me as I sat up on his bed, clad in only his sheets. He reached out his gentle hand and caressed my warm cheek. "It pains me to leave you."  
  
I reached up and held his hand to my face a moment longer before kissing his palm. "It pains me to see you leave."  
  
"I will come to you tonight."  
  
"I will be waiting for you."  
  
*******  
  
Our secret affair had continued on for nearly a week. It was during that time did I obtain the gold necklace as a gift from Yami.  
  
I pined for him during the day, but once evening came, I had him all to myself. He was mine and I was his. But one morning as I gathered my clothes so I could head back to my own chamber to await the servants to come for me, my mind became troubled. I told him I loved him. But had never convey if he felt that way to me.  
  
Did he love me?  
  
*******  
  
One evening, I sat in my chamber when the Pharaoh- no, Yami came to me. He looked deeply distressed.  
  
"What's wrong?" I asked as I stood up out of my chair.  
  
He walked over to me and eloped me in his arms and hugged me to his ridged, tense body. "I am distressed with matters of the Shadow Games."  
  
"Is there anything I can do, my Pharaoh?" I asked.  
  
"Just let me hold you."  
  
And that I did.  
  
"Reira."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I want you to know that I won't let anything happen to you."  
  
I nodded. He then hugged me closer to his body so that I was perfectly pressed to him. I felt his hand brush back my hair and caress my neck. He leaned down and I thought he was going to kiss me but his lips found their way to my ear and not my awaiting lips. I felt his warm breath when he exhaled. "I love you."  
  
My body tingled from his words that I had hoped to hear. He then gripped me to him as he ravished my mouth. As I clung to him, I could feel something different in this kiss. We both loved each other. And now that we both had professed out deep affection, there was a new, stronger bond between us. We weren't just physically connected anymore, it was spiritual. I could have sworn that I had touched his soul that night and he had touched mine. I knew then that our love would be for all eternity.  
  
(End Flashback and Reira's POV)  
  
Reira looked up at Yami. "I woke early the next morning to find you gone from my side. I dressed and ventured forth to find your whereabouts." Reira's face saddened as her chin dropped slightly.  
  
Yami looked at her with worry.  
  
Reira continued. "Priests said that you had not only saved Egypt that night from eternal darkness, but the entire world. I do not know what happened, but I do know that your soul that I had touched that night was gone from this place. I was so struck with grief I had wanted to die myself, but I did not want your death to be in vain. You saved the world and you saved me. You said you wouldn't let anything happen to me. And you kept your word."  
  
Yami stared at her. "I'm so sorry, Reira, for causing you so much grief."  
  
Reira brightened and shook her head. "But you see, the Priests found prophesies that told of the Pharaoh's return when the world would once again be in danger. That is when I saw my chance to be with you again." She held up her necklace. "I had found a way to preserve my heart and soul so that when you returned, I would awaken and we could reunite. With my sister's help, I was able to cast a spell to transfer my heart and soul into the necklace you gave me. But since it was not known to when the Pharaoh would return, and I had no children of my own, my sister kept the necklace and it was passed down to her daughter when she had passed on. From then, the necklace had been forever passed on to generation to generation."  
  
"And now?"  
  
"And now, after all these centuries, we are finally reunited." Reira grasped his hand and held it to her cheek. "My Yami."  
  
"Reira."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Let me hold you."  
  
It was like a replay of their last night together. Yami embraced Reira and felt his heart beat quicken. He remembered this feeling. He remembered the cause of this feeling; her. He remembered her. Her eyes, her hair, her skin, her lips, he even began to recall an intimate moment or two they had shared, but most importantly, he remembered saying that he loved her. He was in love with her but was scared that harm would come to her. It was dangerous for a man in his position to love. Most Pharaohs don't love the women they wed but lust them. But this is not what he felt and he couldn't deny it any longer so that night- he told her he loved her.  
  
"I still love you, Yami." He heard her whisper.  
  
"Yes, and I still love you." He replied.  
  
She looked up at him for a moment before leaning up to his lips and caressing them softly with her own. The gentle touch quickly heated into one of passion.  
  
"Yami." Reira breathed when their lips parted for a moment before reconnecting.  
  
Yami was loosing control of his senses. All he could think, feel, smell, and taste was Reira. He then felt her take his hand and hold it to the breast of her shirt.  
  
"Please, don't deny me. I need you." She panted, still slightly out of breath from the intense, passionate kissing from a moment ago. "Even if it's for one night; tonight."  
  
He then felt the warm flesh as she unbuttoned her shirt and guided his hand to her breast. She was so soft and warm. He looked in her eyes. "I don't want you only for one night." He said with most sincerity. But before Yami gave in and lost control, he pulled himself away from Reira. He gave an aggravated sigh as he got up from the couch and took a couple of steps away from her. "But I can't have you."  
  
Reira looked hurt and confused as she re-buttoned her shirt. "I don't understand?"  
  
Yami turned around so that he was facing Reira once again. "Reira, it is true that we are reunited in spirit, but-" He sat down again next to her and took her hand. "But we can't reunite in flesh. These are not our vessels. We cannot do whatever we wish."  
  
Reira's gaze dropped and she stared at her free hand. "You're right, Yami." She replied sadly. "We no longer are what we once were. And these vessels are not ours."  
  
Yami nodded.  
  
"But I am still glad to be here with you again, even if it is like this." Reira brightened. "Even if we can't make love, I know that you love me. And I love you. Our souls will be together for eternity."  
  
"Yes." Yami agreed. He then pulled her to him and embraced her.  
  
"My Yami." Reira sighed as she squeezed him back in return.  
  
*******  
  
That evening, Hana had gotten ready for bed, put on her robe, and was brushing her hair as she sat at her vanity table. She was distracted by a creaking sound from her door. She turned and saw no one at the door as it had merely opened on it's own.  
  
She shrugged it off and turned back to her mirror as she ran the brush through her long raven hair once more. But now, there was a second reflection in the mirror. Hana gasped and dropped her brush as she spun around to the figure.  
  
"Bakura?!"  
  
Bakura had the darkest grin she had ever seen. His eyes had the same darkness. "Hello, Hana. Or should I say, Reira." He spoke.  
  
Suddenly, everything went black.  
  
*******  
  
More to come! Keep reading!  
  
Tiger LiLy =^..^= 


	9. Love Threatened, Danger Revealed, and Tr...

Spirit of the Heart  
  
By: Tiger LiLy  
  
*******  
  
Disclaimer: I own what I own.  
  
*******  
  
Chapter 9: Love Threatened, Danger Revealed, and Truth Exposed  
  
"I haven't seen Hana at school today. I wonder if she's home sick?"  
  
"Yeah, and it's not like Bakura to skip out on school. He might be out sick too." Joey concurred with Yugi.  
  
"I don't think Bakura has ever missed a day of school." Tristen noted.  
  
"Well, with all this rain we've been having, I'm sure they may have caught a small cold or something."  
  
Yugi and the others nodded with Tea for they did have a lot a rain.  
  
"Well, I think I'll go over to Hana's house and see if she's ok." Yugi informed.  
  
"I'll come too. We have a history quiz tomorrow and I should probably let her have today's history notes so she can start studying." Tea volunteered.  
  
"Alright." Joey nodded. "Then Tristen and I will go see how our ol' buddy Bakura is doin'!"  
  
"Ok! See you guys later!" Yugi waved as he and Tea went off in the direction of Hana's house.  
  
"Later!" Tristen waved as he followed Joey to Bakura's house.  
  
*******  
  
"What?! Hana is missing?"  
  
Yugi and Tea stood on Hana's doorstep, talking with Hana's mother. The women had medium length, dark brown hair and eyes.  
  
"Yes, when my husband, Mr. Kokoro, and I got home last night, I went into Hana's room to see if she was already in bed. I thought I saw her form under her covers but when I went to wake her up for school this morning, I found that it was really her pillows under her covers! So I think she's been missing since last night. I called the school and they told me that all her teachers marked her absent so she hasn't shown up at school."  
  
Yugi nodded. "That's right. We hadn't seen her today and that's why we stopped by."  
  
"Was she with either of you yesterday?" The woman seemed most hopeful.  
  
"Yes, I was with her yesterday. We met up at the arcade and then went to the park. When it started getting late, I walked her back home. We talked for a while and then I left for home." Yugi told the woman.  
  
"Do you think someone might have broke in?" Tea asked.  
  
"The police couldn't find any evidence of a forced entry or any kind of struggle. The only odd thing was that Hana's brush was found on the floor. I know Hana always keeps her things put up. Also, her robe and slippers are missing and she always wears them when she's getting read for bed."  
  
"So it would be odd for Hana, much less anyone, to run off in her robe and slippers." Tea spoke.  
  
"Yes, something must have happened. The police said that this isn't a missing person case until she's been missing for twenty-four hours. Do you know the area? I'm afraid don't know the area well at all. Maybe you know where she could have gone?"  
  
Yugi nodded. "We'll defiantly help in anyway we can! We go look around and see if we can find any signs of her!"  
  
"Mr. Kokoro is at work but I decided to stayed home incase she calls."  
  
"We'll let you know first thing if we find anything!" Tea assured.  
  
"Right!" Yugi agreed.  
  
*******  
  
Tristen and Joey were running down the street when suddenly Joey crashed into someone.  
  
"Hey! What's the big idea?!" Joey shouted from the ground as he rubbed his head.  
  
"Sorry, Joey."  
  
Joey looked up and saw it was Yugi who he had ran into. "Oh, it's you, Yug! Sorry about that."  
  
"Are you two ok?" Tea asked. "Hey! Did you find out about Bakura?"  
  
"That's why Joey here was in such a hurry." Tristen explained. "We went to find you and Bakura!"  
  
Yugi got up from the ground. "You mean Bakura is gone too?!"  
  
"What do you mean 'too'?" Joey asked as he dusted off his school jacket.  
  
"Hana's missing too!" Yugi explained.  
  
"Do you think it could be a coincidence?" Tristen asked.  
  
"Um, maybe they ran off together on a secret rendezvous?" Tea offered.  
  
Joey rolled his eyes. "I doubt it, Tea."  
  
'Yugi.'  
  
'What is it, Yami?'  
  
'I sense a darkness involved with Hana's disappearance.'  
  
'What about Bakura?'  
  
'I fear Bakura may be involved.'  
  
Yugi looked up at the group. "Guys, we need to find Hana and Bakura! Yami feels a darkness involved in there disappearances!"  
  
"Ok, we better split up to cover more city."  
  
Tea seemed worried but nodded with the other guys. "Be careful you guys!"  
  
"No sweat, Tea!" Joey assured. "We'll all meet back at Yug's gramp's game shop in an hour, ok?"  
  
Everyone nodded and went their separate ways.  
  
*******  
  
Yugi panted hard as he ran around town. He caught his breath when he went to the arcade to look around. Maybe Hana and Bakura were there again like before. When he found they weren't there, he left again.  
  
Soon, Yugi found himself at the park. He ran up the bridge over the water and looked out over the park's landscape. He swallowed hard, once more out of breath.  
  
'Hana, where are you?' He asked himself.  
  
He regained his breath again and ran down the bridge and back out of the park.  
  
"I wonder how the other guys are doing." Yugi asked aloud as he walked down the city streets, keep his eyes open for Hana.  
  
He then stumbled onto the strangest thing. "Huh?" He saw a yellow slipper discarded on the sidewalk.  
  
'What is it, Yugi?'  
  
'Yami! This slipper might have been Hana's! Her mom said that Hana's robe and slippers were missing, remember?' Yugi looked to his right where there was an entrance to an alleyway. 'If it is her's then she must have gone that way!'  
  
'Yes, but it may not be her's' Yami commented.  
  
'Well, right now it's the only lead we've got!'  
  
Yami nodded. 'Yes.'  
  
Yugi then took off down the alleyway. It was much longer than he thought.  
  
'Keep going, Yugi. I can sense a dark energy in this direction.'  
  
'This way?'  
  
'Yes.'  
  
'Yami, do you think the spirit inside Hana could be causing all of this?'  
  
Yami was silent for a moment. 'Indirectly, she may be.'  
  
Yugi eventually came upon an old warehouse. The building looked quite ancient.  
  
'Yugi, go inside but tread cautiously.'  
  
'Right.' Yugi nodded. He carefully peaked inside the doorway, which no longer had a door. Warily, he walked inside. The floorboards were worn and cracked. They creaked and moaned with every step Yugi took. After he had walked in a few feet, he saw a figure lying on the floor in the only spot of sunlight that came in from the window on the far wall.  
  
He quickly recognized the figure. "Hana!" he shouted as he ran to her unconscious form.  
  
'Yugi, wait!'  
  
"AH!"  
  
The next thing Yugi knew, he was swept up in a net made of old, thick rope and dangling above the floor.  
  
He then heard a dark chuckle.  
  
"Who's there!?" Yugi demanded.  
  
A figure hidden in the shadows stepped out. "Why, don't you recognize your own friend?"  
  
"Bakura!?"  
  
Bakura grinned up at Yugi, as he was helpless to escape from his predicament.  
  
"Poor, Yugi. He came to safe the damsel but it is now he who needs the rescuing." Bakura mused.  
  
'The Ring found its way back to Bakura somehow.' Yami told Yugi.  
  
Yugi saw the Millennium Ring back around Bakura's neck. He remembered what happened last time Bakura was possessed by the evil spirit of the Ring. "What do you want, evil spirit!?" he shouted.  
  
He chuckled. "Oh come now, little Yugi. You know what I desire."  
  
"My Puzzle." Yugi said gravely.  
  
"Yes, and if you hand it over, not only will I set you free, but I shall also release my prisoner back to you." Bakura said as he gestured to the unconscious Hana off to the side.  
  
"I'll never hand over my Millennium Puzzle to you!"  
  
"Even if she must suffer?" Bakura asked with a sly glint in his eyes.  
  
Yugi choked a little. 'Yami, what do I do?'  
  
'You don't have to do anything. I'll take care of things.'  
  
Yami and Yugi switched minds so that now Yami was in control. "Bakura! We shall settle things the duelists' way!"  
  
Bakura grinned. "Very well. I accept your challenge."  
  
The girl started to stir. "Huh? Wha- Where am I?"  
  
'Hana!' Yugi shouted.  
  
"No, Reira." Yami corrected.  
  
"Yami? Wha-?"  
  
Bakura then ran over to Reira, grabbed her arm and pinned it behind her back. She gasped in pain.  
  
"Reira!"  
  
"Yami! Bakura?!" Reira got a glimpse of her kidnapper.  
  
"How sweet. You remember me." He grinned.  
  
Reira tried to pull away but could not. Bakura pressed his cheek to Reira's. "Don't run off so fast. We need time to catch up. After all, I see you and Yami had gotten reacquainted."  
  
"Let her go, Bakura!" He said in a threatening tone.  
  
"Sorry, Pharaoh, but I don't take orders from you anymore. Heh, like I ever really took orders from you before." He chuckled.  
  
Yami did not remember Bakura from his past but could see Reira remembered him.  
  
"Well now, Pharaoh. Shall we begin the duel?"  
  
"If I win, you set Hana, Reira, and Bakura free!"  
  
"But when you lose, I get your Millennium Puzzle."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Is that all?"  
  
"No. If I do just so happen to loose, you will still let them all go free!"  
  
"Will I?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Very well, then. I shall let Hana and Reira go, but Bakura is mine. Without his vessel, I cannot complete my plans now can I?"  
  
"You WILL set Bakura free as well! For you will lose!"  
  
"Then let's start the duel and see who shall lose!" he chuckled. "But first- "  
  
"Ah!"  
  
"Reira!"  
  
Bakura had tightened his grip on Reira. "First, we must ensure that you, my dear, don't go gallivanting off or causing a ruckus during our duel. It's quite rude, you know." He chuckled in her ear.  
  
Yami growled. He was helpless to do anything.  
  
As soon as Bakura found a chair and tied Reira to it, he and Yami sat opposite ends of each other at a small table. Reira was sitting just in view so she could watch 'her lover lose', as the evil Bakura had put it.  
  
"This atmosphere won't do at all." Bakura spoke. Using the power of the Millennium Ring, the group became engulfed in a strange, dark fog. "To play a Shadow Game, you must be in the Shadow Realm, no?" Bakura grinned.  
  
"Just shuffle your deck." Yami spoke coldly.  
  
The decks were shuffled and cut and placed in their appropriate places. The five cards were drawn and now it was time to begin the game.  
  
"I think I will start things off if you don't mind. I shall place one card face down, and then place one monster face down in defense mode." Bakura then looked up at Yami. "That ends my turn."  
  
"I, too, will place one card face down, and then I summon Beaver Warrior in attack mode!" When Yami summoned his monster, a miniature Beaver Warrior appeared over the card. "And now I attack your face down monster!"  
  
"Then I activate my Morphing Jar! We now must both discard our hands and drew new cards!"  
  
Yami saw that one coming. He remembered that from his last duel with the evil spirit. Yami obliged and ended his turn.  
  
Bakura then drew a card. "Now, I set another card face down, and then place another monster face down and also summon Magical Ghost to the field in attack mode. Next, I shall attack your pitiful Beaver Warrior!"  
  
Bakura's Magical Ghost attacked and destroyed Beaver Warrior.  
  
Yami drew a card. "I now summon Celtic Guardian and destroy your Magical Ghost!"  
  
"Very well." Bakura flipped over his trap card. "Then I activate my trap card Just Desserts! Say good-bye to 500 your life points! Incase you forgot; you will feel as if the life points are being ripped from your own body!"  
  
Yami cringed in pain, making Reira worry. "Yami! Are you ok?"  
  
Yami shook it off as best he could. "I'm fine. It was only 500 life points."  
  
"For now." Bakura added. "There is more where that came from!"  
  
"Just draw your card." Yami spoke grimly.  
  
Bakura drew his card. "I shall place one card down, and then I'll bring out Darkfire Soldier #2! And attack your Celtic Guardian!"  
  
"Then I'll play the magic card Spell Binding Circle!" Yami announced as he revealed one of his face down cards.  
  
Darkfire Soldier #2 was now trapped, unable to attack for three turns.  
  
Yami drew a card. "Now I place one monster down on the field in defense mode. And now I shall attack your face down monster, Morphing Jar!"  
  
"However did you guess?" Bakura asked with a smirk as the monster was attacked and revealed as another Morphing Jar.  
  
"Call it a hunch."  
  
"You must not have had any good cards if you knew the possibility of it being a Morphing Jar. Are you hoping to draw a certain card?"  
  
"All my cards are good cards. I'm just doing the same thing as you are. Waiting for a certain card to come to me."  
  
"You think you've got my strategy figured out, Yami? Well, I'm afraid as much as my strategy seems the same, there is but one twist that you soon shall discover."  
  
Yami said nothing to Bakura. He then turned to Reira. "Reira, are you all right?"  
  
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me! You just concentrate on the duel!" she spoke with worry in her voice.  
  
"Don't worry." He nodded.  
  
Bakura now had one monster on the field and it can't attack for three turns. This was not good.  
  
"My turn! And now I will sacrifice my Celtic Guardian and bring out Curse of Dragon!" Yami declared. "Now I attack your Darkfire Soldier!"  
  
Bakura glanced down at his magic card he had on the field. 'I can't use that one yet.'  
  
Curse of Dragon attacked and destroyed Bakura's last monster on the field.  
  
Bakura pulled two cards out of the ones in his hand. "I'll place this monster face down in defense, and then place The Portrait's Secret on the field. Now I play Pot of Greed and draw from my deck." Bakura did so and smirked. "Perfect. I couldn't ask for better timing. Before I make my move, I thought you should know, Pharaoh, that I knew all about your affair with the 'Desert Rose'."  
  
"Why are you telling me this?" Yami replied.  
  
Bakura chuckled. "I was the one who wanted you to be with her! Didn't you ever think as if to why?"  
  
"I know now that you want my Millennium Puzzle."  
  
"Yes, because with all the Millennium Items, I can become all-powerful! At that time, years ago, I had wanted to rule but to do that, I had to destroy you, Pharaoh. But I couldn't find your weakness, so I created one." Bakura pointed at Reira. He then turned back to Yami. "Love destroys people! It makes a person weak and venerable! I intended for you to fall in love with any woman I could find! It just so happen that she was the only one you showed any interest in."  
  
"That is not true! Love makes people stronger! Reira has made me stronger now than I ever was as Pharaoh! It's hatred and malice that destroys people! People like you!"  
  
"Love does make people weak! I saw it that day in the temple when you and Reira went alone."  
  
*Flashback*  
  
Bakura was reading over the inscriptions on the walls when he heard someone enter the temple. He quickly hid behind a pillar and peered around to see who was there.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"It will be alright."  
  
It was the Pharaoh with Reira. Why were they here?  
  
"What if someone sees?"  
  
"No one will. I promise it will be just you and me."  
  
Reira took a breath and nodded. She stood by a stone tablet, bowed her head, and whispered her special prayer.  
  
To Bakura's surprise, a creature appeared from the tablet and before the girl. 'She really can summon monsters from the Shadow Realm!' he gasped.  
  
Yami put his hand on Reira's shoulder. She quit her prayer and turned to him. There was a moment of silence before Yami spoke. "It is true. I knew you could do it."  
  
Reira nodded. She wasn't sure if she should be proud of herself or not.  
  
"Now, I will show you my special creature." Yami chanted a prayer and brought forth his own monster from the Shadow Realm.  
  
Reira looked in awe. "I've never seen a creature like him! What is he called?"  
  
"His is the Dark Magician." Yami then took Reira's hand and whispered to Reira so softly that Bakura barely heard what he said.  
  
"And you, are my lover." Yami held Reira's hands to his chest as he bent in to touch her lips with his, but Reira pulled back completely away from him. Reira's eyes scanned around the temple slightly frantic.  
  
"No one is here." Yami assured her. He then approached her again.  
  
"But what if-?"  
  
Yami placed his fingers on her lips to silence her. "I know you're nervous, but you have nothing to fear."  
  
Reira spoke once Yami removed his gentle fingers from her lips. "I'm sorry I've been so distant. It's because, well, the times we are together alone, are when we have complete privacy. We are not behind closed chamber doors; we're in a public temple. And-" Yami nodded. "And?"  
  
"Well, it's just that I like things how they are; secret. I don't want to share the news of our love with anyone. I just want it to be us, at least for now."  
  
"As do I."  
  
"I want to have you all to myself."  
  
"As do I." Yami breathed on her lips as he leaned in and kissed her.  
  
Bakura couldn't hold back his grin at the site. 'This is perfect.'  
  
*End Flashback*  
  
"Everything was set. My plans to crush you, Pharaoh, would have succeeded if a certain priest hadn't intervened."  
  
"What happened?" Reira demanded. "What did happened to Yami all those centuries ago?!"  
  
"I believe it is my move." Bakura announced, ignoring Reira. "I have you to thank, Reira. I was inspired by your friendly duel with little Yugi. Of course, you weren't exactly aware of the duel at that time."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Reira asked in confusion.  
  
"Hana and Yugi had dueled once. I guess Bakura had been spying on them." Yami said in Bakura's direction.  
  
Bakura held up a card with the back facing Yami. "Prepare to hand over your puzzle!"  
  
*******  
  
Sorry for the cliffy! There is ONE more chapter though! YAY! I can't believe I'm almost done with this story! Sorry if I made any dueling technicalities! Card duels are hard to write! Please bear with me! I'm not really keeping track of lifepoints but I am keeping track of attack and defense points. If I were keeping track of lifepoints, it would take me forever to write this! Well, now you all know how Bakura knows of the Dark Magician Girl! Um, and if you're waiting to find out what happened to Yami like how his spirit ended up in the puzzle, you probably won't find out from me because I don't know! I think it could have something to do with the Egyptian priest Seto! I really don't know what happened, so your guess is as good as mine! Hope to see you all again in the final chapter!  
  
Tiger LiLy =^..^= 


	10. Until We Meet Again

Spirit of the Heart  
  
By: Tiger LiLy  
  
*******  
  
Disclaimer: I own what I own.  
  
*******  
  
Chapter 10: Until We Meet Again  
  
"Bakura, you bastard!" Reira growled. "How dare you touch my deck and use my own card against Yami!"  
  
Bakura chuckled at Reira and grinned as Yami started at the card in his hand that he had turned over, revealing The Dark Magician Girl card. "I only meant to borrow it, my dear." He taunted. "I'll be sure to put it to good use." He assured her.  
  
"That card is not yours to use!" Yami barked in anger.  
  
Bakura gave no heed. "I sacrifice The Portrait's Secret and summon Dark Magician Girl to the field."  
  
As if the fact Bakura had the Dark Magician Girl card wasn't a shock enough, what happened next was worse.  
  
Yami gasped. "Bakura! What have you done?!" he commanded.  
  
Bakura grinned. "I told you, I was inspired by Reira's, or should I say Hana's, duel with little Yugi. After all, 'would you hurt the one you love'?" he mocked.  
  
Yami clenched his fist in anger.  
  
When Bakura placed the Dark Magician Girl card on the field, the smaller version of the monster appeared above the card. Only this time, the Dark Magician Girl had long raven hair rather than blonde. "What? Where am I? I feel so strange."  
  
"Oh my gods! Hana!" Reira shouted from her helpless position.  
  
The small Magician Girl looked up at her surroundings to find three familiar faces; one of which was her own. "Huh? What's going on?! Am I dreaming?!"  
  
"Hana!" Yami shouted in disbelief.  
  
She turned around and looked up into the eyes of the giant boy she had befriended from school. "Yugi?" Hana then noticed her attire. "What? How did I get these clothes? Why do I look like the- the Dark Magician Girl?" Hana puzzled.  
  
"Because you are the Dark Magician Girl." Bakura informed. "And you obey me!"  
  
Hana was still greatly confused by everything. "What?"  
  
"Bakura! How dare you! It's bad enough you took my card, but to drag Hana into this is low!" Reira hissed.  
  
"I'm surprised you didn't notice Hana's lack of presence within yourself." Bakura commented. "No matter."  
  
Bakura was right. Reira was so distracted with everything that was happening around her, she didn't notice that Hana's spirit was no longer present within her own body.  
  
"How dare you drag her into our Shadow Game!" Yami shouted. "This is between you and me! If any harm comes to her-"  
  
"It will be your doing! You see, Pharaoh, the only way Hana is in any danger is if YOU attack her!" Bakura said smugly. "And I doubt little Yugi will forgive you for bringing harm to his friend, am I right?"  
  
Yami growled. "You are sick!"  
  
Hana stood frightened as she held her staff tightly in her hands. "I don't understand! What's going to happen to me?" she asked with fear in her voice.  
  
"Everything will be alright." Reira assured.  
  
Hana nodded nervously to her giant self, who was tied to a chair. "What's going on?" she asked.  
  
"You are in a duel between Bakura and Yugi." Reira informed.  
  
"But you are on MY side!" Bakura interfered.  
  
"But that means I have to attack Yugi!" Hana spoke to Bakura.  
  
Bakura smirked in satisfaction.  
  
"Listen to me, Hana." Reira spoke. "It is very important that Yugi wins this duel! Don't attack him!"  
  
"I'm afraid she doesn't have any choice in the matter." Bakura continued to smirk.  
  
Hana looked up at Bakura, then Yami, then back to Bakura. "I don't like this! I don't want any part!"  
  
"Sorry, my dear, but you are to follow my commands."  
  
Reira was outraged. 'That card was a gift. Now, not only is he using my card, but using Hana as well! This is unforgivable!'  
  
*Flashback in Reira's POV*  
  
It was after Hana had been given the necklace and while I was still lying dormant within; a man came in the night.  
  
The man had entered the chamber of Hana's mind, and found a passageway that led to her heart. He followed it, and in a dark corner within, he found my dormant spirit.  
  
"Lady Reira. Awaken." He spoke.  
  
I began to stir. I opened my eyes, and there before me, was an Egyptian man with long white robes and a turban adorned his head. His eyes were unnerving but nothing I felt any fear from. I stared at his presence and he bowed before me. Something I was never accustomed to.  
  
"My Lady Reira, I am a servant of the Pharaoh."  
  
'The Pharaoh? My Pharaoh?' I thought. "Where is he?" I asked.  
  
"The Pharaoh shall return soon. As a loyal servant of the Pharaoh, I felt it my duty to bring you a gift."  
  
"I don't understand." I puzzled.  
  
"You're sister, Nikkou, left behind scrolls of you affair with the Pharaoh. She told of how much you two were in love. Is this not true?"  
  
I nodded. "Yes it is true."  
  
"Then I bring you this gift on behalf of the Pharaoh." He revealed to me a card. "This is a Duel Monster card. It is of the Dark Magician Girl. It is the first of its kind. I know that the Pharaoh would want his beloved to have this. Someday, you shall duel with him and he shall know it is you when he sees this card and you two will be united once more."  
  
I looked from the card to the man. "Who are you?"  
  
"I am Shadi."  
  
*End Flashback*  
  
'Shadi told me that he had a man named Pegasus create the card using carving that were created by my sister. My dear desist sister, thank you for all you've done for me.'  
  
"Why are you being so heartless, Bakura?" Hana asked with tears in her eyes.  
  
"Because I have no heart!" He spoke in a sinister tone with his smirk unwavering.  
  
"But you're our friend." Hana spoke when her tears broke free and began to stream down her cheeks.  
  
Bakura paid no attention. "Now I activate my face down magic card, Change of Heart!"  
  
The card's creature sprung forth and took over Yami's Curse of Dragon.  
  
"Now! Curse of Dragon! Attack your beloved master!"  
  
The possessed dragon attacked Yami directly.  
  
"Now! Dark Magician Girl! Attack as well!" Bakura ordered.  
  
"No!" Hana protested. "I can't! I don't want to hurt Yugi!"  
  
"Obey me!"  
  
"Sorry, Bakura, but you can't make her attack because she's not like the other duel monster cards. She has a heart and a mind of her own!" Yami spoke to his opponent.  
  
Bakura growled. "No matter! She still does me good by being on the field! She protects my life points because YOU wouldn't dare attack her and send her to the graveyard!"  
  
Yami said nothing.  
  
"I'll end my turn for now." Said Bakura. Curse of Dragon then returned to Yami's side of the field.  
  
Yami drew a card. "I'll put these two cards down, then put my Kuribo on the field in defense mode! Now, I sacrifice Curse of Dragon and Kuribo to summon the Dark Magician!"  
  
Bakura smirked. "So what?"  
  
Yami was solemn. "Do forgive me." He spoke softly down to Hana.  
  
Reira was taken back by Yami's words. "Yami?"  
  
Hana looked up into Yami's eyes and nodded. "I believe in you, Yugi. I also trust you."  
  
Yami nodded to Hana. "Now, my Dark Magician, attack the Dark Magician Girl!"  
  
"What?!" Bakura shouted in surprise.  
  
"Yami, no!" Reira shouted.  
  
Hana tried to shield herself with her arms from the blast of light energy but it proved all for not. When the light subsided, Hana was gone.  
  
Bakura sat shaken. 'He-he attacked her!'  
  
Since the Dark Magician Girl was in attack mode, Bakura lost some life points.  
  
Reira looked on in disbelief. 'Why?'  
  
"Before I end my turn, I will use this magic card." Yami said as he pulled out a magic card from the cards in his hand and revealed it to Bakura.  
  
"No!" Bakura gasped.  
  
"I activate Monster Reborn to bring back the Dark Magician Girl! But this time, she's on MY side of the field." Yami announced.  
  
Reira was most relieved by this outcome.  
  
Hana appeared like she had before. When she opened her eyes, she looked up to see the giant Bakura sitting across from her this time. She then looked to her right and saw a tall dark figure that she recognized. "The Dark Magician? Then, I must be-"  
  
"On my side of the field now." Yami finished for her.  
  
Hana spun around and looked up at Yami and smiled. "I knew I could trust in you."  
  
Yami smiled to Hana. He then put his game face back on and faced Bakura. "It's your move, Bakura."  
  
Bakura couldn't believe what had happened. 'How could I have lost control of the duel?! How did this happen?!' He drew a card. "I'll place this monster face down in defense mode."  
  
"I'll then activate my trap card, Light of Intervention!" Yami announced as he flipped over his trap card on the field.  
  
Bakura's monster was revealed to be a monster known as the Thirteenth Grave.  
  
"Now, I active my other trap card, Trap Hole!"  
  
'No!' Bakura's mind shouted as beads of sweat dripped down his face. Bakura's last hope for defense was destroyed.  
  
"It's over, Bakura!"  
  
"No! It can't be!" he shouted in disbelief.  
  
"But it is! Now, my Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, attack him directly to finish this duel!"  
  
Together, the two magicians attacked Bakura, ridding him of the last of his life points.  
  
"No!" Bakura shouted in misery. "I was so close this time!"  
  
The Shadow Realm atmosphere began to fade. The Duel Monsters on the field disappeared as well as Hana, but Reira could feel that Yami had used his Millennium Puzzle to place Hana's spirit back into her body.  
  
"Reira, are you alright?" Yami asked as he ran to her side to untie her.  
  
Once free, Reira took a moment to rub her wrist to help rid of the soreness. She then turned to Yami and embraced him. "I'm so glad you're alright, my Pharaoh!"  
  
"I am fine as long as you are safe." He spoke softly.  
  
When Yami closed his eyes, he reopened them as Yugi. "Hana?" He looked at the girl in his arms.  
  
Hana looked over at the boy that held her and stood back from him. "Yugi?" she then broke into a smile. "Oh, Yugi!" she threw her arms around him again. "You were so brave! Thank you for saving me!"  
  
Yugi blushed. "Well, I couldn't have done it without Yami."  
  
Hana blinked. "Who's Yami?"  
  
"I'll tell you about it later. It's kind of a long story and we really need to get you home! Your mom and dad are worried sick about you!"  
  
Hana nodded.  
  
Suddenly, the two heard a groan. They turned toward the sound and saw Bakura lying on the ground.  
  
"Bakura!" Yugi shouted as he rushed to his side. "Are you ok?"  
  
"Yugi? I have one mean headache. Where am I?"  
  
"I'll fill you in later, Bakura. Let's first get you home."  
  
"Yes, that would be quite good." Bakura agreed as Yugi helped him to his feet.  
  
"Is Bakura going to be ok?" Hana asked.  
  
"Don't worry, Hana, Bakura will be fine now." Yugi smiled in assurance.  
  
*******  
  
It was a week later when the gang met over at Hana's house; rather, Hana's old house.  
  
"Do you really have to go?" Tea asked.  
  
Hana nodded. "My dad got better job offer in northern Tokyo."  
  
"We're going to miss you, Hana." Joey said with his head bowed.  
  
"Yeah." Tristen agreed.  
  
Tea looked over at Joey. "Are you CRYING, Joey?" she teased.  
  
"NO! I just got something in my eye! The sun's really bright out today! I think I'm allergic to your perfume!"  
  
"You're not supposed to give three explanations at the same time!" Tristen informed.  
  
"Good-bye, Hana. I wish you the best." Bakura said as he shook Hana's hand.  
  
"Thank you, Bakura." She smiled.  
  
Joey then grabbed Bakura. "Come here, Bakura! I need a second opinion! Tell Tea her new perfume stinks!"  
  
Hana laughed as poor Bakura was being kidnapped by Joey.  
  
"Uh, Hana?"  
  
Hana turned and saw Yugi before her. "Oh, Yugi!" she exclaimed as she reached into her bag. "I've been meaning to give this to you." She handed him a handkerchief.  
  
"For me?" He took the squared piece of folded cloth and unfolded it. "Oh my gosh! My Exodia Cards!"  
  
"I found them when I was on Duelist Island. On the first night there, I had made camp by the shore. It hadn't gotten dark just yet so I was lucky to see them floating to shore! I had heard about Yugi Mutou losing his Exodia cards and thought it was just awful! Well, I got the cards and tried to dry them as best I could but as you can see, the cardboard is still wrinkled so they're no good to use in duels anymore, but I thought that if the day came I could get these to Yugi Mutou, I would!"  
  
Yugi stared at the card in his hand that he had once lost. "Wow, Hana! Thank you! Even if I can't use them to duel with anymore, it still means so much to me that you did what you did!"  
  
Hana blushed slightly as she smiled. "I'm glad. I'm glad you have your cards back, and I'm happy to have met you. Thank you for being such a great friend to me. If you would, I would like you to take this as well." Hana presented to Yugi the Dark Magician Girl card.  
  
Yugi stared at the card. "Oh no, Hana! I couldn't take that card!"  
  
"Please do! Reira and I both want you and Yami to have it. We always want to be a part of your deck."  
  
Yugi thought about it for a moment. He then took the card and nodded to Hana.  
  
'Good-bye, Reira.' Yami spoke to the spirit of Reira that stood beside Hana.  
  
'Only for now. We will meet again, my Pharaoh; my Love.' She smiled in assurance.  
  
Yami smiled in return and nodded.  
  
Hana smiled shyly at Yugi. "I'll miss you, Yugi."  
  
"I'll miss you too, Hana."  
  
"Hana, sweetie, we need to get going!"  
  
"Coming, mom!" she shouted back. She then turned back to Yugi. On a moment of impulse, Hana leaned in and kissed Yugi on the cheek.  
  
Yugi was stunned to say the least.  
  
"I'll never forget you, Yugi Mutou." She said before she dashed off to the car. Once Hana was inside, she rolled down the window and stuck her head out. "You better take good care of my card, Yugi! I'll be back for it!" she shouted with an added wink. She waved to everyone as her parents pulled out and drove off.  
  
'I'll be here.' he thought with a smile.  
  
"Hey, Yug! Don't you think Tea's perfume stinks?"  
  
"Shut up, Joey! Why don't you just admit that you were sad that Hana was leaving?!"  
  
"I'm only sad that I didn't get to go out with her while she was here!"  
  
"You're such a jerk, Joey Wheeler!"  
  
Yugi began to drown out the sound of his friends arguing when Yami came to him.  
  
'You will see each other again someday.' Yami spoke.  
  
Yugi smiled at his friend. 'So will you.'  
  
Yami smiled back.  
  
Yugi took one last look at the Dark Magician Girl card before putting it in his deck belt with his other cards. "Hey guys! Why don't we go get some burger?"  
  
"Alright! Yugi's the man with the plan!" Joey said as he mussed up Yugi's hair. "Hey! Tea's treating!"  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"How come? Did you spend all your money on the skunk that sprayed you?" Joey snickered.  
  
"Joey, you are so DEAD! Get back here!" Tea shouted as she chased after him.  
  
"Let's go on ahead without them. They'll catch up." Tristen spoke.  
  
"Quite right." Bakura agreed.  
  
"Tell you guys what, burgers are on me. Just don't tell that to Joey and Tea!" Tristen winked. "Joey would eat right through my wallet!"  
  
Bakura and Yugi laughed, knowing Joey is known for his bottomless pit like stomach. They hurried on ahead while Tea was still after Joey.  
  
"Ow! I was only kidding, Tea! Can't you take a joke?! OW! Jeez, Tea, what do you have in that purse of yours?! Bricks?! OW!"  
  
*******  
  
THE END! It is finally done! *sigh of relief* I hope this story wasn't too bad. Once again, please forgive any dueling technicalities! I had such a hard time writing the duels! Well, does the summery of the story make sense now? Yami got his love back and Yugi got his cards back! See? Thanks to all my readers who stuck with me throughout this story! Hope to see you all review again in my other stories! Please review this one too! Thanks! Luv ya!  
  
Tiger LiLy =^..^= 


End file.
